Trams in Ghent
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The Ghent tram is a form of a public transport in the city of Ghent, Belgium. Since 1991, it has been operated by De Lijn, the public transport entity running buses and trams in Flanders.
General Description
The total extent of the network is approximately 30 kilometers. The rail gauge is 1000 mm and trams are powered by 600V AC overhead wires. Tram lines are laid both along the dedicated rights of way as well as running among other traffic. The tram right of way on Groot-Britanniëlaan is also used by buses.
The system has one short tunnel segment of around 150 metres long, passing underneath Sint-Pieters railway station. The Sint-Pieters Station tram stop is located inside the tunnel. It was opened on June 28, 1996.
The system has no turnback loops or triangles. Therefore, all rolling-stock is bidirectional, unlike Antwerp's trams which are fitted with cabs on both ends.
History
Overview
Horse-drawn tram appeared in Ghent in 1875. Its rolling stock consisted of 43 carriages, 14 of them open and the other 29 closed, with 100 horses used to draw them. The horse-drawn trams were operated by Les Tramways de ville de Gand, which existed until 1897.
On August 13 of 1897 operating concessions were issued to Société Anonyme des Railways Economiques de Liège-Seraing et Extensions (RELSE) and Compagnie Générale des Railways à voie étroite (CGR). These companies merged on January 4, 1898 to form SA des Tramways Electriques de Gand. The aim of this move was to replace horses by electric traction, as well as the further usage of the tram network. It was also decided to use electric trams, since they did not require an ugly-looking catenary.
The power of battery operated trams was 25 hp. Each tram carried 45 passengers. The maximum speed of each was 12 km/h because by government law the operator was not allowed to travel any faster. A special 600 kW electric station was built for charging the batteries of the electric trams.
However, the battery traction were not too successful, so in 1903 the decision about overhead line electrification was made. As a consequence, in 1904 the overhead line was built and the first electric trams powered by overhead lines started to work in a city. Namely this date marks the birth of a tram in the city of Ghent, Belgium. From 1904 to 1961 the system was operated by "Tramway Electriques de Gand" (TEG).
During the process of electrificaton the rail gauge size shrunk from 1435 mm standard to 1000 mm.
20th Century
In the 1960's the tram network of Ghent decreased rapidly, there were eleven lines (1-10, 20) in 1961. By 1974 there were just four, the line to Melle closing on New Year's Eve, 1973. Ironically line 3 to Mariakerke, closed in 1969 could reopen in the 2010's under De Lijn's Pegasusplan. Plans for a Pre-metro were made in the 1970's but were abandoned.
- In 1961 the tram property was transferred from the TEG Tramway Electriques de Gand to the MIVG (Maatschappij voor Intercommunaal Vervoer te Gent) municipal organization. In 1991 the MIVG tram undertaking became part of the De Lijn operation.
- In 1989 the trolleybus operated along the former tram line 3. In June 2009, the trolleybus line closed and under the Pegasusplan all or part of the route will revert to tram operation.
- Until 1974 the archaic two/three-axle trams "de oude gele tramkes" (old little yellow trams) were used on Ghent's tram network. During their working life, they were rebuilt and refurbished several times.
- In the 1990's Ghent's tram system started to expand again. In 1993 line 21 was extended to Melle Leeuw, and in 1999 the 21/22 lines were extended from Sint-Pieters to Zwijnaardebrug, near the E40 motorway. The last extension to the network (to date) took place in April 15, 2005, when line 1 was extended to the "Flanders Expo" complex. The Gent trams will go south of the E40 for the first time in 2012 with the extension of lines 21/22 to Zwijnaarde-Dorp.
Since 2000 the Gent tram network started to receive new generation Low Floor tram stock, these trams were named HermeLijn. Prior to this, such trams were supplied in Antwerp. Unlike Antwerp, PCC trams used in Ghent are double-ended. HermeLijn in Ghent, of the first order have serial number 6301 — 6314. In 2005 another order of 17 HermeLijn trams arrived in Ghent (6315 — 6331). Another ten arrived in 2007 (6332 - 6341).
- Starting in 1998, the modernization of Ghent PCC trams took place, this modernization featured the completely new interior, separate driver's cab, and better air conditioning equipment.
- Up to 2025 the significant expansion of the Ghent tram network is planned. The whole extent of the system is planned to be 80km instead of 30km. There will be six lines instead of three.
The system: general description
The entire extent of the Ghent tram system is around 30 kilometers. The track gauge is 1000 mm. The catenary voltage is 600 volts. Tram lines are laid both in dedicated right of way lanes, as well as together with street traffic. On the Groot-Britanniëlaan street such a dedicated right of way lane, is also used by city buses.
The system also has two non-switch 90-degree crossings — between the lines of routes 1 and 21/22. Such crossings are located on the crossing of Zonnestraat with Veldstraat as well as Korte Meers street. There are namely two crossings, because the trackage of route 1 passes by street in each direction. Along the Korte Meer tram goes toward the city center, the Korenmarkt stop, yet return along the pedestrian/tram-only shopping area along the Veldstraat.
On those streets where tram tracks are located not so close to the sidewalk, i.e. in the middle of the roadway, all the stops are located on so-called safety islands with pedestrian overpasses leading to them. It helps to reduce the danger of the automobile transport, to which passengers could be exposed.
Routes
In Gent the tram routes are officially knows as «lines» (lijnen), yet in English it is more correct to refer them as routes, since their ways overlap each other in some places (unlike Prague Metro for example).
There are just four routes in Ghent: nos. 1, 4, 21 and 22. Since the path of 21 and 22 routes matches on the most of their extent, they are frequently viewed as a single route (lijn twee/line two). Every route has its own color, This color is depicted in a vehicle's route designator, as well as on maps and schematics.
The routes in Gent:
- 1: Flanders Expo — Sint-Pietersstation (Main Railway Station) — Korenmarkt (the historical center of the city) — Rabot — Wondelgem — Evergem. The color of the route is red.
- 4: Sint-Pietersstation — Rozemarijnstraat — Rabot — Muidebrug — Korenmarkt — Zuid (Main Library) — Gentbrugge Moscou. The color of the route is green (yellow route sign is used very rarely).
- 21: Zwijnaardebrug — Sint-Pietersstation — Rozemarijnstraat — Zuid — Melle Leeuw. The color of the route is yellow.
- 22: Zwijnaardebrug — Sint-Pietersstation — Rozemarijnstraat — Zuid — Gentbrugge Dienstencentrum. The color of the route is yellow.
Beside full length, there are also shortened routes. Until 2004 they had their own numbers. For example, the shortened routes, which passed along the way of 1 and 2 were known as 11 and 12. (yet the first route was known as route 10), the shortened routes along the way of routes 4 — 41, 42 (that time route 4 was numbered 40). Now the separate numbers of shortened routes are cancelled, yet while the tram does not follow its entire route, just its destination is written on a sign.
Additional shortened routes are organized frequently when mass activities such as Gentse Feesten take place in the center of the city. It doesn't take too much effort to organize such a route, since all the rolling stock is bidirectional (double ended). Neither loops nor wyes are required. It is enough just to switch between tracks, along the routes.
The works of the system
The time of work, schedules
The work of trams on all of the routes begins approximately at 5:30 and continues until 23:30 (half to midnight), both on weekdays and on weekends. The interval between trams does not exceed 15 minutes in off-hours, yet in "peak hours" can be squeezed up to 5 minutes. The service schedule is placed on each tram stop.
Tram Stops
All the stops are done only due to passengers' request. In order to leave a tram at a given stop, a passenger must push a special button in a tram. This invoked a short sound signal, and a special red indicator lamp is lit in a passenger space, along with a signal lamp on driver's control panel.
On a stop, awaiting a tram, a passenger must raise his/her hand seeing a tram. This system is similar to ones, used in USA.
Tariffs, and fare control
The tram is operated by De Lijn (the company which provides transport service in the whole of Flanders), that's why the fare control system on Ghent Tram is the same as on all public transport in Flanders. The ticket, which can be used in one zone (which include practically the entire city) within an hour costs €1,50 if you buy a ticket from a driver or €1,20 if you buy it before. Tickets are sold in machines installed on many tram stops, as well as in special "Lijnwinkel" kiosks (they also sell monthly and weekly passes). You can also buy tickets in many newspaper kiosks. If there is a vending machine on a tram stop, it is prohibited to buy a ticket from a driver. There are no conductors on trams. Sometimes tickets are checked by the fare enforcement, riding a tram without a ticket can cost you as much as €600.
Entering a tram, a passenger must stamp a ticket in a validator on the tram near the front/rear doors. There are no turnstiles (just like on the rest of transportation in Flanders). On PCC trams the front door works only for entry, on newer HermeLijn trams passengers can enter or exit trams using any of the doors.
Rolling stock
Historical
Prior to begining of 1970's archaic two and three axle trams, of the early 20th century were in use.
Duewag trams from Bochum
By the early 1990's there was a lack of trams due to expansion of the tram network. In order to solve this problem, it was decided to acquire used trams. In 1993 a PCC tram from Saint-Etienne(France) arrived in Ghent (the type is the same as of current Ghent trams, yet from slightly another modification), board number STAS 507. Its stay in Ghent was not successful and saw little use. The tram car was eventually scrapped.
In 1994 it was decided to buy used Duewag trams form Bochum (Germany). The first of them entered Ghent on May 11, 1994. Here it got its board number 55. By September 1st of that year, the usage of this tram started, and on September 19, 1994 it was renumbered no. 60.
Nine ex-Bochum trams arrived in Ghent. There numbers were 6260 — 6265 and 6267 — 6269 (Bochum numbers 29, 20, 19, 22, 23, 27, 11, 14, 16). Yet their usage in Ghent was only four years, the Bochum trams left service by April 25, 1998, and by October 21, 1998 De Lijn decided to scrap the trams and sell them for scrap metal.
Modern Trams
As of early 2007 there were 79 trams used in Ghent, out of which there were 31 HermeLijn trams and 48 PCC trams (22 modernized and 26 non-modernized). Non-modernized PCC trams are gradually being removed from service and decommissioned.
PCC
From 1971—1974, 54 PCC trams were delivered to Ghent, built at La Brugeoise et Nivelles (BN) in Bruges. (Their numbers are 6201 — 6254). Non-modernized PCC trams wear just the last two digits of the board number (e.g, 01, rather then 6201).
Tram no. 6201. This tram was recently repaired, yet not modernized. It was brought back to the condition of 1971, and nopainted into the original MIVG blue livery, as it was from 1971—1991. This tram will be transferred to a museum, probably in 2010.
Tram nos. 6202 — 6223 were modernized in 1998-2003. The interior was completely changed, doors were replaced, and driver's cab were completely separated from passenger's space. It is supposed that those trams will work for 11-14 years more.
Tram nos. 6224 — 6254. The decision was taken not to modernize those trams. In 2006 the decommissioning of those trams had begun, as of late 2007 seventeen of the trams were decomissioned. Up to 2010 the usage of non-modernized PCCs is supposed to finish.
HermeLijn
These low floor trams (joint enterprise of Siemens AG and Bombardier) were supplied in Ghent since 1999 till 2007/8. There are three series of HermeLijn in the operating pool: nos. 6301 — 6314, 6315 — 6331 and 6332-6341. HermeLijn trams are in fact a modification of NGT6DD and NGT8DD, which were build for Dresden's tram network from 1995—2000.
- Trams 6301 — 6314. They were the first low floor trams in Ghent. They were supplied in the years of 1999—2000.
- Trams 6315 — 6331 for the second series of HermeLijn. First of them (6315) arrived on February 10, 2005, the last one on 1st December that year. The only difference from the first series is a presence of the automated stop announcement system, and a couple of constructional elements.
- Trams 6332 - 6341 entered service during 2007. They are used in Winter and Spring on Ghent's tram network, and on De Kusttram, the Belgian Coast Tram service from Knokke to De Panne in Summer and Fall when ridership is at its highest.
Tram Yard
The only tram yard (Gentbrugge depot, named after the district) is located on the Brusselsesteenweg street (address — Brusselsesteenweg 361 9050 Gentbrugge), next to the crossing with Steenvoordelaan. This yard is used not only by trams, but also by buses. A new tram yard is under construction at Wissenhage, which will replace the current depot in 2009. The new tram yard will have enough space for 80 low floor HermeLijn trams, as well as 175 buses. There will also be space for tram and bus repair shops.
The necessity to build a new tram depot arose because Gentbrugge depot will be too small for the expanding transport system. As a kind of temporary layup trackage, an area under highway ramp from E17 highway is in use. This is not so far from current depot, and also known as «Ghent Brugge-2 depot»). Since the tram network of the city is to be majorly expanded, only an entirely new depot can solve this problem.
Operators
In 1961 the company property was transferred from Tramway Electriques de Gand to the municipal organization named MIVG (Maatschappij voor Intercommunaal Vervoer te Gent).
- In 1991 Ghent Tram Network was taken over by De Lijn.
External links
Media related to De Lijn at Wikimedia Commons