• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Ghent Trams

Status
Not open for further replies.

Goldie

Member
Joined
29 Sep 2014
Messages
156
I visited Ghent for a few days last month, and got a few photos of the city's trams in action. I was hoping for a ride on one of the PCC cars, but services were in the hands of De Lijn's enormous Bombardier Flexity and Hermelijn trams. The system was very clean and well used, and - as always - it was nice to see how at home trams look in a city environment, even one with narrow, medieval streets like Ghent.
 
Last edited:
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Goldie

Member
Joined
29 Sep 2014
Messages
156
259CEBFF-E7DB-4B0B-BCA6-5326EBEFEC2A.jpeg 7D156D7E-D354-4DAA-B434-2FCBFBE4A4ED.jpeg My brother’s late ‘70s Citroen GS took us there and back in squashy seated comfort, and started conversations with pretty much everyone that we met.
 
Last edited:

TheSeeker

Member
Joined
15 Feb 2016
Messages
314
Location
Braine-l'Alleud
Very cool pictures. The week long Gentse Feesten must be one of the biggest parties in the world. I managed to survive one night.
 

alex397

Established Member
Joined
6 Oct 2017
Messages
2,035
Location
UK
Great pictures! I stayed in Ghent a few years ago, and really enjoyed it there - a lovely city. The town felt like a cross between Bruges and Brussels - without the huge amount of tourists in Bruges, and without the filthiness and dodgy characters of Brussels.

I travelled on the trams too, and was impressed. I've always been impressed with De Lijn across the Flanders region (expect their awful Van Hool articulated buses in Antwerp - saunas on wheels in the summer!). When I was in Ghent, there was still the PCC cars operating, but only on one route I believe. I seem to remember hearing they were completely withdrawn from Ghent last year (don't quote me on that!).

If you want the experience of the PCC trams, Antwerp is the place to go - my summer 2017 visit saw lots of examples on different routes. My favourite route was probably the 12, as the trams went town some narrow tight streets north of Centraal Station. Also the 11 to Melkmarkt, also along small streets. It seems rare to me across Europe for trams to still run down such streets.
 

Goldie

Member
Joined
29 Sep 2014
Messages
156
Very cool pictures. The week long Gentse Feesten must be one of the biggest parties in the world. I managed to survive one night.

I would love to go back for Gentse Feesten. We only had a couple of days there, but really enjoyed it. I’m sure we’ll be back before long.
 

Goldie

Member
Joined
29 Sep 2014
Messages
156
Great pictures! I stayed in Ghent a few years ago, and really enjoyed it there - a lovely city. The town felt like a cross between Bruges and Brussels - without the huge amount of tourists in Bruges, and without the filthiness and dodgy characters of Brussels.

I travelled on the trams too, and was impressed. I've always been impressed with De Lijn across the Flanders region (expect their awful Van Hool articulated buses in Antwerp - saunas on wheels in the summer!). When I was in Ghent, there was still the PCC cars operating, but only on one route I believe. I seem to remember hearing they were completely withdrawn from Ghent last year (don't quote me on that!).

If you want the experience of the PCC trams, Antwerp is the place to go - my summer 2017 visit saw lots of examples on different routes. My favourite route was probably the 12, as the trams went town some narrow tight streets north of Centraal Station. Also the 11 to Melkmarkt, also along small streets. It seems rare to me across Europe for trams to still run down such streets.
Thanks for the tip about Antwerp. I’d like to explore the Coast Tram too next time we go back.
 

paddington

Member
Joined
19 Feb 2013
Messages
964
I've been to Ghent several times but there has always been some sort of engineering work on the tram network. I want to ride the entire network in a single day - does anyone know if it will be possible this summer?
 

Quakkerillo

Member
Joined
23 Jan 2015
Messages
553
I've been to Ghent several times but there has always been some sort of engineering work on the tram network. I want to ride the entire network in a single day - does anyone know if it will be possible this summer?

No, it won't be possible. Tram route 4 between Moscou and Ledebergplein isn't running due to street renewal works which are expected to last until at least November 2018.
This pdf ( https://static.delijn.be/Images/Pendel Vervaenestraat dienstregeling_tcm3-18272.pdf ) shows the Pendelbus (shuttle bus) in light blue which will run to convey passengers of tram 4 to/from Moscou during the works (for now). This may change at a later date depending on how the roadworks progress.

There might also be other engineering works coming up, but this already surely will make it impossible to ride the whole network.
 

MarcVD

Established Member
Joined
23 Aug 2016
Messages
1,243
Thanks for the tip about Antwerp. I’d like to explore the Coast Tram too next time we go back.

This one is easy to do as there is a hourly served train connection at each end.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top