S7#23 public tram: the tram gong (2025)
YouTube name: Qu4tre - Liège Média.
Date: .
City: Liège (Belgium).
Le Tram
Operational
Liège tram line T1: Sclessin, Standard - Liège Expo
Operational
There are increasingly more trains moving through the city 🚋, and the repeated gong irritates some people 😤. A petition has been proposed to address this issue 📝. Drivers don't really have a choice but to use this preventive signal 🔊. A General Operating Regulation specifies when and under what conditions the gong must sound 📜.
Welcome to the typical tram. We had planned to discuss winning the tram line, but not at this time. Still, since it's in the news due to a petition complaining about the number of gang attacks that can happen in the city, we now see that it was the right time to take a closer look at what lies behind the idea of gangs. You should be aware that each tram network has its own general operating rules, which include various provisions, particularly regarding the use of gangs. The driver doesn't do whatever he wants. Here, he has Gangué before entering the station. You heard him; he has Gangué because he leaves, it’s obligatory, and he will do it at each station on the line. There are other cases where the use of the gong is completely non-negotiable. I want to say this is part of the general operating regulations, and we will review all of this with Daniel Watley. They are required to activate the gong in certain specific situations. As we have just seen, when entering and leaving the station on curves where two trains cross, they must also do this to avoid situations where one train can hide from another. Every time there is a crossing, such as when a street or pedestrian crossing is involved, they must activate the gong.
Additionally, in cases like observing people on the tracks or vehicles on the tracks, they must activate it until the track is clear. According to the principle, if the track isn’t clear, the tram must stop and will activate the gong before leaving—that is, whenever it starts moving, it will activate the gong. It is a preventive safety tool—meaning it warns people of the tram's arrival. Since the tram is relatively silent, especially for those distracted, wearing headphones, or looking away, this is the means we use everywhere to warn pedestrians. There is also a horn, headlights, and flashing lights, all set to a level audible to most without disturbing residents too much. It’s a sound you will need to get used to. From the passenger’s perspective, the gong is relatively short and percussive; we hear it clearly, but it doesn’t last long. If I compare it to an ambulance siren, it’s much less invasive than a siren. Such behavior justifies using the gong. There are other reasons, which we’ve shown you before and will repeat here, demonstrating behaviors that indicate danger, requiring the driver to warn of possible hazards. Many of these images are somewhat dated, and the question is whether, now that trains are departing more frequently—especially often downtown—people in Liège have adjusted their attitudes and become less reckless.
We thought it would be simplest to take you inside a train cabin, run the line through Liège, and see what happens. That's what we'll do. I activate the gong when I arrive in the same direction as the people, then wait for them to turn around and tell me if they heard me. If I'm unsure if they heard me, I have to deactivate the gong. We saw this at Léopol and Feroner, which are hazardous places, especially during school hours. So, there, the gong is often activated—not for fun, but because it's really reassuring. People hear the gong and turn around. This is for everyone's safety; there’s no other choice. During this round trip on the tram line with Patrick, he has completed each trip 80 to 90 times, which makes perfect sense when you’re in the cabin and see what’s happening in front of the tram. Many of these instances were in accordance with the operating regulations, and about 20% of them may have been related to people getting too close to the tracks. In October 2019, we visited Besançon with the show and discovered their city tram system, which was already testing a second gondola because the first one had become ineffective. People had gotten used to it. That’s undoubtedly what will happen here in Liège as well. Over time, two points remain: first, many trains are currently running, with approvals still in place for the drivers. Today, around fifty drivers—like Patrick—have passed their exams and are now qualified tram drivers.