Ghent Trams Routes

Ghent Trams Routes

Routes overlap each other in some places. As of 6 January 2024, there are four routes in Ghent: Numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4. Every route has its own color, this color is depicted in a vehicle's destination sign, as well as on maps and schematics.

Ghent Tram Line Route

• T1 Flanders Expo – Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station – Kouter – Zuid – Gentbrugge Stelplaats
• T2 Evergem – Wondelgem – Korenmarkt – Zuid – Melle Leeuw
• T3 Zwijnaarde Bibliotheek – Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station – Kouter – Zuid – Moscou
• T4 Gent UZ – Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station – Rabot – Muide – Lange Steenstraat

Some services follow a truncated route. Until 2004 they had their own numbers. For example, 11 and 12 were shortened versions of routes 1 and 2, the shortened routes along the way of route 4 were known as 41, 42 while route 4 was numbered 40. Nowadays, when a route is shortened, it retains the same number and just shows a different destination on its destination sign.

Additional shortened routes are organized frequently when mass activities such as Gentse Feesten take place in the center of the city. Bidirectional rolling stock makes it easier to organize shortened routes.

While works on the tracks at the Coupure area are being done, tramline T4 will only serve 4 stops from Sint-Pieters Station to Ghent's University Hospital. Normal service should resume around summer 2024. The current routes are expected to last until 2029, when the rebuild between Veldstraat and Kortrijksepoortstraat is finished. This will have an impact on the route of tramline T1.

Ghent Trams Schedule

Trams on all of the routes run from approximately 5:30 AM until 01:30 AM on weekdays, until 2:15 AM on friday and saturday and until 11:30 PM on sundays. The interval between trams is between 5 minutes (peak hours) and 20 minutes (off-peak). Each tram stop within the city of Ghent has a timetable.

Ghent Trams Tram Stops

All stops are request stops, made only on passengers' requests. In order to leave a tram at a given stop, a passenger must push a special button in the tram. This invokes a short sound signal, and a special red indicator lamp is lit in the passenger space, along with a signal lamp on the driver's control panel.

At a stop, when wishing to board, a passenger should raise their hand to request an approaching tram to halt.

Ghent Trams Tickets

The Ghent tram is operated by De Lijn (the company which provides transport service in the whole of Flanders), the fare control system is the same as on all public transport in Flanders, and there are no turnstiles. A passenger should stamp a ticket in a validator in the tram (near the doors) at the start of a journey, and every time you take a connection tram or bus after that.

A ticket, which allows an hour's travel over most of the city, costs €2.50 if bought from a tram-driver or €3 if bought in advance. Tickets are sold by vending machines at many tram stops, and at special "Lijnwinkel" kiosks (which also sell monthly and weekly passes). Tickets can also be bought at newspaper kiosks. There are no conductors on trams, but sometimes tickets are checked by fare enforcers, travellers without tickets may be fined €75 for a first time offense and up to €400 for a third or more time offense within 12 months . More recently these fare enforcers are oftentimes accompanied by several police officers. They have been granted some extended powers since 2009.

On PCC trams, the front door works only for entry, on newer HermeLijn trams passengers can enter or exit trams using any of the doors.

Ghent Trams Overview

Ghent Trams Locale: Ghent, Belgium
Ghent Trams Horsecar Era: 1874–ca. 1904
Ghent Trams Status: Converted to electricity
Ghent Trams Operator(s):
Les Tramways de la Ville de Gand (1874–1897)
Société Anonyme des Railways Éonomiques de Liège-Seraing et Extensions (RELSE)
Compagnie Générale des Railways à voie étroite (CGR)(1897)
SA des Tramways Electriques de Gand (1898–ca. 1904)
Ghent Trams Track Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Ghent Trams Propulsion System(s): Horses
Ghent Trams Accumulator Tram Era: 1899–ca. 1904
Ghent Trams Status: Experiments abandoned
Ghent Trams Operator(s): SA des Tramways Electriques de Gand
Ghent Trams Track Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Ghent Trams Propulsion System(s): Rechargeable batteries
Ghent Trams Electric Tram Era: since 1904
Ghent Trams Status: Operational
Ghent Trams Operator(s):
SA des Tramways Electriques de Gand (1904–1961)
Maatschappij voor Intercommunaal vervoer te Gent (MIVG) (1961–1991)
De Lijn (since 1991)
Ghent Trams Track Gauge: 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Ghent Trams Propulsion System(s): Electricity
Ghent Trams Electrification: 600 V DC Overhead
Ghent Trams Depot(s): Gentbrugge