Luchthaventram (Airport Tram)

Region

Brussels Northern side Zaventem

Project status

Planned

The ‘Werken aan de Ring’ programme focuses on providing sustainable and smooth mobility options for every road user. High-quality public transport is a rock-solid alternative to the car and the daily traffic tailbacks: clear departure and arrival times, seamless connections and good-quality vehicles with a high level of comfort for travellers. We are working hard to realise this ambition with the Brabantnet. This public transport network consists of three major routes that will soon guarantee an easy connection between the Noordrand and Brussels: the Airport Tram, the Ring Trambus and the Express Tram. The Airport tram will connect Brussels Airport with Brussels-North train station.

What is the Airport Tram?

It will soon be possible to travel from Brussels-North to Zaventem Airport in 30 minutes on the Airport Tram. This convenient 12-km tramline runs via the Leopold III-laan and connects to the existing tramway network within the Ring.

Why an airport tram?

In the vicinity of Brussels Airport, there are often lengthy traffic jams today. These traffic jams, in turn, cause a lot of creeping traffic in residential areas of Diegem, Evere and Schaarbeek.

The Airport Tram provides additional means of getting around. As a result, commuters will more easily switch from the car to public transport and cycling. Thanks to this so-called "modal shift", car traffic in Diegem, Evere and Schaarbeek will decrease and the region will become livable again. Moreover, the green reconstruction of the road infrastructure will make the area much more pleasant for cyclists, pedestrians and joggers, as a lot of additional comfortable bicycle and footpaths will also be constructed.

Why this tram when there is already a train running between Brussels North and Brussels Airport? The train takes you directly and quickly from Brussels North to Brussels Airport. The Airport Tram also makes the residential and employment areas between them accessible. This includes the many inhabitants of Schaarbeek and Evere and the employees working in the many companies in Evere and Diegem.

The route of the Airport Tram in detail

The Airport Tram is an extension of existing tram lines with a terminus at NATO in Evere. Tram stops will supplement the two existing, local train stops (Diegem and Zaventem) to make the business parks in the region more accessible.

The locations of the stops have been chosen so that as many travellers as possible can easily reach the Airport Tram on foot, by bicycle, by car or by bus. Three additional stops will be provided between NATO and the Brussels Ring Road: 

  • Hermeslaan stop (near ExxonMobil)
  • Grensstraat stop (near Hewlett Packard)
  • Culliganlaan stop (near the Van der Valk hotel)  

There will also be 3 stops between the Brussels Ring Road and Brussels Airport:

  • Da Vinci stop: in Leonardo Da Vinci Avenue (near Samsung)
  • Technics stop (near X-air services)
  • Brussels Airport terminus (at the airport terminal)

Smoothly combining means of transport in a green environment

Besides realising high-quality public transport, the Airport Tram project also focuses on pre- and post-transport by combining it with other means of transport. A finely-meshed local cycle network is deployed to eliminate missing links. In turn, the stops serve as multi-modal mobility points.

  • A new cycle highway will complement the two existing ones. Infrastructure already in place will be improved and supplemented, including new crossings over the A201.
  • There will be space for bicycle parking and shared mobility (shared bicycles, shared cars) at all stops, so that the different options are easy to combine.
  • The stops will also be as accessible as possible on foot, for example by crossings, improved footpaths and by placing the stops at easily accessible locations.
  • You will also be able to transfer to the bus at the various tram stops.

We try to achieve all this in a green environment. Thus, in addition to a clearly built-out green boulevard, we also aim to strengthen green front areas of the office parks.

Where and when are we working on the Airport Tram?

The Project Memorandum for the construction of the Airport Tram was approved in October 2019. In May and September 2023, Brussels and Flemish permits were granted to the project. Construction of the project is scheduled to start in 2026 and will take about four years.

Questions about the Airport Tram? 

Can't find the answer to your question in the list of the FAQs? Then send an email to luchthaventram@werkenaandering.be