Brussels tram route 3

STIB/MIVB Route 3
Esplanade – Churchill
Overview
System	Brussels tramway network
Operator	STIB/MIVB
Depot	Haren, Ixelles
Vehicle	T3000, T4000
Status	Operational
Began service	30 June 2008
Route
Locale	Brussels, Belgium
Communities served	Schaerbeek Bruxelles-ville Saint-Gilles Forest Uccle
Start	Esplanade
Via	North-South Axis
End	Churchill
Length	13.5 km (8.4 mi)
Service
Journey time	46 minutes
Route map ←  Route 4 →

The Brussels premetro- and tramline 3 connects the stop Esplanade (on the borders of Neder-Over-Heembeek, Laken / Laeken and Strombeek-Bever) with the stop Churchill in Ukkel/Uccle. The line was temporarily disbanded, but returned in service on 30 June 2008. The colour of the line is lime-green.

Route

Esplanade - Meise - De Wand - De Wand - Araucaria - Braambosjes - Heembeek - Van Praet - Werkhuizenkaai/Quai des Usines - Mabru - Jules de Trooz - Masui - Thomas - Noordstation/Gare du Nord - Rogier - De Brouckère - Beurs/Bourse - Anneessens - Lemonnier - Zuidstation/Gare du Midi - Hallepoort/Porte de Hal - Sint-Gillis Voorplein/Parvis de Saint-Gilles - Horta - Albert - Berkendaal - Vanderkindere - Churchill.

Interesting

The line is named 3, after the originally planned metro line 3, which was planned to service most of the current route of tram line 3.

This line was taken out of service for a while. It returned however on 30 June 2008 in a renewed form.

Only the tram lines 3 and 4 remain in the North-South Axis that runs underneath the city centre during the daytime. In the evening, the North-South axis is serviced by tram line 32. Both lines 3 and 4 have a 6-minutes schedule during rush hour and are serviced by the modern low-floor trams (Bombardier T3000 and T4000).

On August 31, 2009 the lines 3 and 4 changed their northern termini. Whereas line 3 used to end at the North station, it now continues all the way to Esplanade, while the line 4 route was shortened to terminate at North Station. Because of this, the very long route of line 4 and the short route of line 3 are now equalized.

Material

Before the line was taken out of service for a while, the line was serviced by both the modern low-floor trams (the T3000 and T4000) as well as the older two-part PCC-trams (T7700 and T7800). After its return in 2008, the line is serviced by the modern low-floor trams only, mostly of the T4000 type.

See also

• List of Brussels tram routes

External links

• STIB/MIVB

• Translated from: nl:Tramlijn 3 (Brussel)