Brussels tram route 4
The premetro and tram route 4 in Brussels, Belgium, is a tram route operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects the Stalle Parking stop in the southern municipality of Uccle to Brussels-North railway station in the municipality of Schaerbeek.[1] It was created on 2 July 2007 as a new route between Esplanade and Stalle Parking. On 31 August 2009, the route was shortened with a new terminus at Brussels-North, while line 3 was expanded between Brussels-North and Esplanade. The colour of the signage for this line is pink.
| STIB/MIVB Route 4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gare du Nord/Noordstation – Stalle Parking | |||||
 | |||||
 Trams at the Stalle Parking terminus | |||||
| Overview | |||||
| System | Brussels tramway network | ||||
| Operator | STIB/MIVB | ||||
| Depot | Haren, Ixelles, Schaerbeek | ||||
| Vehicle | T3000, T4000 | ||||
| Status | Operational | ||||
| Began service | 2 July 2007 | ||||
| Route | |||||
| Locale | Brussels, Belgium | ||||
| Communities served | Schaerbeek City of Brussels Saint-Gilles Forest Uccle | ||||
| Start | Gare du Nord/Noordstation | ||||
| Via | North–South Axis | ||||
| End | Stalle Parking | ||||
| Length | 10.0 km (6.2 mi) | ||||
| Service | |||||
| Journey time | 35 minutes | ||||
| |||||
Only tram lines 3 and 4 remain in the North–South Axis that runs underneath the Pentagon (Brussels' city centre) during the daytime. In the evening, the North–South Axis is serviced by tram route 32. Both lines 3 and 4 have a 6-minute schedule during rush hour and are serviced by the modern low-floor trams (Bombardier T3000 and T4000).
History
The line was created on 2 July 2007, replacing tram route 52 between Esplanade and Brussels-North railway station and tram route 91 between Stalle Parking and Vanderkindere. Together with tram routes 3, 7, 8 and 9, it is one of five 'chrono' lines, which means that it is served by low-floor high-capacity trams with a high frequency. The low line number chosen for the new line shows that it is either a metro line or a 'chrono' line.
From 31 August 2009, lines 3 and 4 changed their northern termini. Line 4 was shortened to terminate at Brussels-North, with the route between Brussels-North and Esplanade operated by line 3. Because of this, the very long line 4 and the short line 3 are now equalised.[2]
Originally, the shorter line 4 did not run after 8 p.m. because tram route 33 had been extended to Stalle Parking. From September 2011, route 33 was suspended, replaced between Brussels-North and Bordet railway station by an extension of tram route 32 from Brussels-North to Da Vinci. At this time, evening running of line 4 was restored.
Route
The route crosses the North–South Axis from Brussels-North to Albert. The tunnel crosses the municipalities of Schaerbeek, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, City of Brussels, Anderlecht, Saint-Gilles and Forest. It then rides along the Avenue Albert/Albertlaan, which is a part of the Greater Ring, up to the Vanderkindere crossroad in Uccle. There, the route uses the Avenue Brugmann/Brugmannlaan, which then becomes the Rue de Stalle/Stallestraat. At the end of that street lies the tram terminus next to Stalle Parking.
See also
References
- "STIB - Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles".
- "Tramlijnen 3 en 4 wisselen van eindhalte". www.bruzz.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 April 2023.
