But beware! The tram always has priority over all other road users, including pedestrians. So, before you cross the street, check that there is no no tram in sight.

Always be attentive. Citizens wearing headphones, or browsing their cell phones, or running to catch a bus, may not see the tram arriving. This is why the STIB launched the campaign « Le tram a toujours priorité »  to remind its passengers and other road users each year so that they will be more cautious and attentive when approaching a tram.

The tram always has priority. This rule of the highway code is explained because the tram is not a vehicle like the others.  The tram cannot be compared to a car because it rolls on rails with steel wheels and it is also much heavier. The grip of its wheels on the rails, when braking, is also less than that of wheeled vehicles, which means that its braking distance is greater.

Important Reminder: THE « BIIIP » IS NOT A STARTING SIGNAL.

The STIB writes:

For your safety, do not go through the doors when you hear the beep.

This signal announces the imminent closing of the doors.

It is forbidden to go up or down when the signal is working.

This is dangerous behavior as you may be trapped between doors and hurt yourself. Not to mention the damage if the vehicle starts when an object is stuck between the doors.

For more information, read the following document.

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Place Marie-José is going to be completely renovated to create a friendly space for all. The renovation of tram tracks and stops, as well as the removal of the loop around Place Marie-José are part of this work.

During the works, STIB has confirmed that tram lines 8 and 25 are replaced by T-buses between Buyl and Boondael Gare stops from Monday 7 October to Friday 20 December 2019.

T buses

Direction Boondael Gare, the T-buses also serve the stop Cambre-Etoile.

After the Solbosch stop, the T-buses are diverted by Armand Huysmans Avenue and Avenue d’Italie. Marie-José and Brazil are moved there.

In the direction of Buyl, the T-buses serve the Hippodrome de Boitsfort stop and run on Franklin Roosevelt Avenue. Brazil and Marie-José are moved there.

T-bus stops

Direction Boondael Station

• Cambre-Étoile: Avenue of the Mad Song, 2
• Buyl: Adolphe Buyl Avenue, 21 (bus stop 71 towards Delta)
• ULB: avenue Adolphe Buyl, 105 (bus stop 71 direction Delta)
• Solbosch: Solbosch Square, 30 (tram stop)
• Marie-José: Armand Huysmans avenue / Old Tilleul Square
• Brazil: avenue d’Italie, 45 (crossroads with Avenue de la Forêt)
• Boondael Station: avenue de la Forêt, 99

Direction Buyl

• Boondael Station: avenue de la Forêt, 111
• Boitsfort Racecourse: Franklin Roosevelt Avenue, 244
• Brazil: Franklin Roosevelt Avenue, 190
• Marie-José: Franklin Roosevelt Avenue, 112
• Solbosch: Antoine Depage Avenue, 39
• ULB: avenue Adolphe Buyl, 144 (tram stop)
• Jeanne: square Albert Devèze (bus stop 71 towards De Brouckère)
• Buyl: Hippodrome Avenue, 200 (bus stop 71 to De Brouckère)

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The STIB needs urgently to replace 120 kilometres of tram tracks, the DH newspaper reported this Tuesday. This amounts to 43% of Brussels’ existing tram network.

According to the report, this point was raised on Monday evening during a meeting of the company’s board of directors. “The STIB notes a structural and accelerated deterioration of tram lines as well as an increasing number of incidents affecting service and operational safety,” says a note presented to the Board of Directors.

The note also stresses the urgency of the present situation: “In the absence of structural corrective measures, these factors could lead to a decrease in the level of service offered on the tram network, which would then become unacceptable both in terms of availability and operational safety.”

The STIB’s trams are today being used much more frequently than they used to be. Between 2007 and 2022, the number of kilometres travelled by its trams will have increased by almost 30%, says the DH. The number of track breaks is also on the rise. This could lead, in turn, to serious accidents in the near future.

STIB spokeswoman Françoise Ledune noted, “We have a tram track maintenance programme and we stick to it. There is nothing new about this. We replace 15 to 20 kilometres of rails per year and everything has been planned, so there are no surprises.”

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