The White Snake: Liège has a tram again (2025)

YouTube name: BRF .be.
Date: April 26, 2025.
City: Liège (Belgium).

Le Tram
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Liège tram line T1: Sclessin, Standard - Liège Expo
Operational

It was a difficult birth, but one that was nonetheless celebrated as a historic event: the new tram was inaugurated in Liège on 25 April 2025. The plan to build it was already in place by 2007. However, the planned completion in 2017 was repeatedly delayed.

It's finished and can finally run. People in Liège had to wait a long time, but today they didn't hold back on superlatives. The new tram's importance for the city has been compared to the construction of Gimer station by architect Kalatrava. People are eager to take a souvenir photo with the mayor. Yes, a rare historical moment, as we are now part of a modern, efficient transportation system for the city, on the busiest line. The tram line is 11.7 km long. The 23 stops connect the Liège exhibition center and Koran Mös with the central station and the Standard Liège stadium in Kliss. During peak times, it will depart every four and a half minutes. The tram is seen as a symbol of sustainable mobility, benefiting its users. This means the route will be pretty slow, which actually allows for better flow in the layout, a fact we've known for a long time in Liège. Three major bridges had to be restored for the project. Those responsible are aware of the significant hardship imposed on residents and businesspeople in recent years. But the result is impressive. They believe that it’s not just the tram that has boosted the city’s reputation. Additionally, the tram is not the only development; efforts to requalify public spaces are also underway.

There are nearly 50 hectares of public spaces that have been thoroughly renovated and well-maintained to achieve high-quality urban planning. The project, a public-private partnership, costs around 7 billion euros. The tram is popularly known as the White Snake and is sometimes affectionately referred to as the Hippopotram. The modern low-floor trams are made by the Spanish company CF. Tech's tram drivers will continue working as bus drivers. There will be a change every few days. Everyone can really celebrate the new tram on May 10th. Then, you can travel through the city for free from 2 p.m. until late at night. There will be activities and concerts at 12 stops. We're excited.

Sclessin, Standard → Place Coronmeuse → Liège Expo.

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Photos of Liège tram line T1: Sclessin, Standard - Liège Expo

12:53

The Liège tram has officially and happily entered service - RTBF Info (2025)A truly family-friendly atmosphere filled the first tram, which was packed from the moment it started at 4:22 a.m. in Liège. Damien, the driver, was joined by his family and many residents of Liège, all eager to take part in this symbolic moment for the city. Today, Monday, April 28th, is indeed D-Day. Liège residents, commuters, and tourists can board between Sclessin and Coronmeuse. It's an incredible journey back in time for those who remember the tram... 60 years ago. The tram is rising from the ashes today after many setbacks and delays, along with changes in strategy following the abandonment of the extensions to Seraing and Herstal. Shopkeepers, in particular, suffered greatly from the organization of the construction site and the resulting delays. You can read the full story of the new tram here. For users, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists alike, we'll have to get used to this new player in Liège's transportation system, as well as the famous and frequent... ding ding. The practical tram: The tram will operate daily from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., running every five minutes during rush hour and every 7 to 15 minutes during off-peak hours, as promised by the TEC. The fare is the same as the bus fare: $2.60 if you buy a ticket on the bus; $1.15 with a multi-trip pass. The line has 23 stations, many of which connect to a bus network. Two large overflow parking lots are available in Sclessin and Coronmeuse, for a flat rate of $1.50 per day. Hello everyone. Welcome to the tram. Yes, it's a bit of an unusual place for the news, but as you know, the Treasury team likes to leave the studio to meet you. Today is a special occasion with the commissioning of the tram here in Liège. Some thought this tram would never see the light of day, as the commissioning was initially scheduled for October 2022. There was a slight delay. We will have the chance to talk about it again, but for now, we'll take advantage of the opportunity since the tram is running; it's stopped. I plan to move around because it will start up again soon. Many people have gathered since this morning, and I have Ben next to me among the first passengers. So, sir, what are your first impressions of this brand-new tram? Hello. Well, the tram is really great. It's a vehicle that runs smoothly. You don't feel the bumping of the yellow bus when it's moving. Now, we’re arriving at the heart of the city, where more people are gathering. It might feel a bit more crowded, but having this mode of transport in our city is truly a luxury. I even took a half-day to explore the city. Oh, perfect—a happy passenger. And you, young man, do you think this tram in Liège will change your life? I believe so. It’s easier to move around Place de Liège; it takes less time, it looks better, and it's more satisfying to see. And just like that, everyone seems happy. First. There you go, happy people indeed. Soon, we’ll be approaching the center of Liège, and I invite you to see the full route: 11.7 km from Liège Expo to Coromeuse, passing through the city center and the famous Place Saint-Lambert. It typically takes about 30 minutes. We aren’t in the very first car; that one finished much earlier. There was a lot of impatience, especially among passengers who stayed overnight. François Roado and Benjamin Brône bring us this exciting moment. Damien Grenier is the first to pass through his doors. It's a little after 4 a.m. The young driver is preparing for a highly anticipated start of service. It's a very emotional moment. Yes, in four minutes, we'll finally leave the depot and load the first passengers. I'm really excited to see the people of Liège, the Liégeois, boarding. About a hundred of them are waiting at the first stop, eager to ride the first tram. Are you the driver's mother? Yes, I am. An emotional mother, then. Absolutely, proud. There you go. I'm happy for my son to be in the first spotlight. Welcome aboard this first tram. I wish you a safe and enjoyable trip. We came as a family. Perfect. Why? We wanted to be part of the first tram ride. We were excited to wake up early. It felt like going on vacation, but honestly, it's almost even better. I asked my friends what Monday was like at 82 years old. They said, well, nothing at all. So I said, "Come take the tram, we'll be fine." The Liégeois’ spirit was there despite the early start; the atmosphere was festive. It’s a party. We're here for the tram. Come on. It's strange to see so many people. Did you expect that? Oh no, not at all, not at this time of day. Charlemann station. In the early morning darkness, the stops pass by. The tram is shaping the new backbone of Liège’s transit network, promising a significant revolution in mobility. It's flowing traffic more smoothly, and I think it's good for the environment, too—an important issue nowadays. A small, discreet passenger just slipped in among the commuters. Molly wisely accompanied her owner on this inaugural trip. She’s calm on her first ride, getting used to the tram and bus. So, she's already a public transportation dog. Everyone’s happy to see the first tram dog today. There were some criticisms this morning. Despite years of waiting, the tram now needs to find its rhythm and bring back city center customers, who are tired of the endless construction. We’re still on the tram in Liège. We stop at Charlemann station. There are 23 stations along the route. So, in terms of mobility, it's bound to change how people in Liège get around. That's the goal, at least, since the tram runs on a dedicated lane. It currently averages 20 km/h—only 7 km/h during rush hour, which is a significant advantage. However, on May 1st, a lengthy construction zone caused many inconveniences in the city. And now, we’ll discuss this with someone.By RTBF Info - April 28, 2025.

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[Documentary] Complete reopening of 11.7km of new Liège tramway (2025)The completely rebuilt tram system has been operating in Liège since April 28, 2025. The new T1 line is 11.7 km long. It runs from Standart in the south to Liege Expo and Place Coronmeuse in the north of the network. A total of 20 CAF Urbos trams are in operation. With the opening of the network, there are now six tram networks in Belgium. More tram documentaries: • Tram and light rail documentaries Antwerp tram documentary: • [Documentary] Antwerp tram (2021) My Instagram: / _bahnwelten Music: noneBy Bahnwelten - April 28, 2025.

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Trams in Liége (2025)By Richard Franklin.
July 12, 2025.

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The brand new tram system of Liège, Belgium (2025)The brand new tram system of Liège in Belgium is doing test runs before opening on 15 April 2025. New CAF Urbos trams are used on this new tram system.By Rail Public Transport 🏳️‍🌈 - February 21, 2025.

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The Liège tram (2025)The tram is super beautiful, the interior is very spacious, people with disabilities in wheelchairs have easy access to the tram, it was very well organized.By sncb1357 - May 3, 2025.

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6:00

S7#23 public tram: the tram gong (2025)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.By Qu4tre - Liège Média - March 13, 2025.

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The Liège tram is being tested at the Atlas Bridge (2024)By Lyanna_animation.
October 24, 2024.

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Tram En Commun: the tram gong S7 E23 (2025)If you live in Liège or visit there frequently, you can no longer ignore it: as the number of trains on the line increases, the tram gong is becoming louder 🚊🔊 While it frustrates some residents enough to spark a petition, it remains an essential safety and prevention tool, and the General Operating Regulations govern its use. 00:00 Introduction 01:01 Reminder of the rules for using the gong 01:38 A safety and prevention tool 02:24 Effect on individuals and comparisons 02:41 Some behaviors that warrant using the gong 03:01 Quick look at the cab 04:11 Journey overview 04:36 Nancy: When people stop hearing the gong 05:02 Continuation of driver authorizations 05:13 The public inquiry for the BUSWAY line no. 4 is initiated 05:30 Conclusion Welcome to Tram en Commun. We had planned to discuss the Liège tram gong, but not immediately. Since it's making headlines because there's a petition criticizing the current number of gongs in the city, we thought it was time to take a closer look at what's behind this notion of gongs. You should also be aware that each tram network has its own general operating regulations, which specify various aspects, including, for the most part, the use of the gong. The driver doesn't do whatever he wants; here, he gonged before entering the station. You heard him; he's leaving again, and it's mandatory. He'll do it at each of the line's stations. There are other cases where the use of the gong is completely non-negotiable; I would say it's a standard operating regulation, and we'll review all that with Daniel Wathelet. - They are required to sound the gong in certain specific situations, as we just saw: when entering and leaving the station, on curves, when two trains cross, to prevent the effect of one train hiding another. Additionally, every time there's a crossing, such as when crossing a street or a pedestrian crossing, the gong must be sounded. In other cases, such as when they see people or vehicles on the track, it must be sounded until the track is clear. - As a rule, if the track isn't clear, the tram must stop; it will ring before moving. This happens as soon as there's any movement. - Whenever it starts moving again, it sounds the gong. It's a safety and warning tool, alerting people of the tram's approach. Since the tram is relatively quiet, especially for distracted pedestrians or those with headphones or coming from the opposite direction, it's the method we use everywhere to warn people. There's also a horn that can be sounded, as well as headlights and flashes. All are set at levels audible to most people, with the aim of not disturbing residents. But it's a sound you'll need to get used to. Regarding its impact, the gong blast is relatively short; it's percussive, loud enough to hear clearly, but not long-lasting. If I had to compare it to an ambulance siren, it's much less invasive than that. Using the gong in this way is justified. There are other reasons; we've already shown them to you. We'll show them again, along with some behaviors that indicate danger, which require the driver to warn of a potential threat. Most of these images are somewhat outdated, and the question is whether, now that trains run very frequently and are often seen in the city center, the people of Liège have adapted and perhaps become less concerned about perceived danger. We thought the most straightforward solution was to take you into the tram cabin to ride along the line through Liège and see what happens. That's what we're about to do. I sound the gong upon arriving in the same direction as pedestrians, expecting them to turn around and acknowledge hearing me. If they do, I'm not sure if they listened, so I need to repeat it. - This is similar to what we saw in Léopold and Féronstrée. - Those are risky areas, especially during school hours, so we need to sound the gong often there. I don't do it for fun; it's really for everyone's reassurance. And people do turn around—those who hear the gong understand its purpose, which is for safety. There's no other choice. - For this round trip on the tram line with Patrick, he gonged around 80-90 times per trip, which makes sense when you're in the cabin and aware of what's happening in front of the tram. Many of these gongs were in line with the operating regulations, and approximately 20% were related to people being too close to the tracks. In October 2019, we visited Besançon as part of the program. We explored a city by tram, and there, they were already testing a second gong because the first one had become less effective as people grew accustomed to it. That will likely happen in Liège as well, over time. Two more points to note: many trains are currently running, and driver authorizations are ongoing. And remember, we are at a fair today.By Le TEC - March 14, 2025.

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Liège tram in its blank run (2025)By Lyanna_animation.
February 12, 2025.

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The Brand NEW Liège Tramway (2025)I ride the brand-new Liège tram from Standard station in the southwest to Coronmeuse and Liège Expo in the northeast. Chapters: 0:00: Introduction and History 1:04: Standard 4:07: Inside the Tram 6:08: Gare des Guillemins 7:38: Place Saint-Lambert 8:39: La Batte Operations 9:50: Coronmeuse 11:12: Pont Atlas 12:43: Liège Expo 14:00: Final Thoughts and Conclusion Hello, it's Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025. Today, I'm at the station in Leuven, Belgium, on the brand-new Leuven Tramway, also known as the Waffle Place. Lees is in the east of Wuni, the French-speaking part of Belgium. About 100 years ago, the city had an extensive tram system, standard across Europe at that time. Unfortunately, with the rise of the so-called futuristic automobile, the tram's popularity declined. The last tram ran in 1967, and the city was left tramless for 57 years until recently. The modern Legez tramway opened on April 28, 2025, just over three months ago, with 11.7 km of route and 23 stops. It runs from the Stone Dej football stadium in the Scissa neighborhood in the southwest, along the west bank of the M River, through the city center, then splits into two branches at Pas to Kuram and the Lege Expo Center in Presu on the other side of the river. Today I will ride the entire line. Before I begin, I want to review the station amenities here at Stand, but I will only cover them once, as all stations have the same main features. There are multiple shelters on each platform, each with benches; some benches are used for leaning against. There are also dot matrix displays showing departure times, the date, and the time, along with ticket machines and speakers. I don't know why sounds are playing. I wonder what happens if I press this—nothing. I purchased a day pass at the central train station upon arrival from Brussels for only €4.40, which is very affordable—equivalent to two regular tickets. Like every other station on the line, Stand has a nice line diagram. There are several posted around. The only thing I would like to mention later is that these two stations are only served in one direction. These are also only served one way, except on Sundays. There's a small sign here, but I don't think it's enough. Continuing with the map theme, regional maps of the entire city are provided, showing all transportation options, including bus lines and the tram line, highlighted in red. The bus lines are color-coded by route—west, center, north—and the frequencies are listed here. Since we're on school holidays now, and it's around 11:00, the service runs every 8 minutes, splitting to each branch every 16 minutes. Some key features of Stoondach Station include parking for commuters coming from farther out, allowing them to park here instead of downtown and take the tram in. Additionally, the nearby Stond D football stadium is very accessible by tram. The last feature I'll mention before we leave is the cross-platform bus transfers—buses depart from one side and arrive on the other. That's quite convenient, and this setup is also available at different stations. This bus stop is in Zone 20, although I’m unsure how the zone system works here. The tram runs on standard gauge track—1,435 mm—similar to those in Brussels, but different from systems in Flanders, such as those in Kent and elsewhere. And I can't forget about the Gustrom. Okay, let's board the tram. I don't know why I said that—it was an odd thing to say. Tap my card here. So, this is the tram. It's a smooth ride. The seats are stiff but comfortable. There are USB outlets under the seats—USB-A, not USB-C—which is a pity. There’s information about transferring to the train on this street—there's a train station nearby. The tram's width is 2.65 meters, which is pretty wide and comfortable. It also looks very nice and runs quietly. I’ll speak softly so the pretty loud announcements don't overwhelm them. From here, the tram runs along railway line 125. Look at that green track—I love it. I didn't realize it started here. I also wanted to mention how nice the screens are, but unfortunately, they aren’t working on this tram. Maybe I’ll see them on the next one after I get off at G. If someone can tell me what operating system this uses, I would appreciate it. Although most of the line is electrified, three sections do not have overhead wires, for aesthetic reasons. Between specific points and sections, the 27-section, 45.4-meter-long Calf Herbos trams were built with onboard systems.By Nathan´s Transit Journeys - July 23, 2025.

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Last updated: September 4, 2026.