Meise

Quickly along the A12 towards Brussels

The express tram starts from Fort van Breendonk and runs all the way to Brussels-North. It will have two stops each in the municipalities of Willebroek, Londerzeel and Meise, allowing it to get into Brussels quickly. These will be developed as transport nodes where travellers can easily transfer from one mode of transport to another. The express tram will make it easy to get into Brussels and bring Meise within easy reach of the surrounding municipalities.

The tram starts in Willebroek on the east side of the A12 and crosses the A12 to its west side in Londerzeel. It then continues on into Brussels. As a result, the tram line is very close to the various residential areas of the municipalities, allowing it to reach more travellers.

Brabantnet-meise

Travel between home and work

The travel time from Meise to Brussels will be considerably reduced with the express tram. At the moment it often takes up to half an hour to get into Brussels, but with the express tram it will take 15 minutes. This tram line also creates new prospects for those who work along the A12; and local businesses will find it easier to attract employees. In addition, transferring to the new airport tram or the ring tram will be simple, making it easy to get to the area around the airport.

Convenient leisure and other trips

The express tram will make central Brussels, Heizel, Fort van Breendonk and other destinations easily accessible for people living in Meise. Great for a museum visit, shopping trip or meal out. What’s more, you can reach Vilvoorde with a single transfer (onto the ring tram). As a result, that centre too will be brought within easy reach, as well as the hospitals of Jette and Vilvoorde and various secondary schools in the area. The express tram also offers an excellent opportunity for Meise Botanic Garden, which visitors will be able to get to easily.

Why we want to bring the tram to the people

If we want people to use the tram, we have to bring it to the people. In Meise, this means that the route of the tram line must be to the west of the A12, as the studies examining the different alternative routes made clear. This is why the Flemish government decided on 6 December to designate this as the preferred route. 

What studies?

De Lijn commissioned a number of studies to find out where the tram should run. Specifically, there was an EIA plan, a route study, a social cost-benefit analysis (SCBA) and a study of a route to the east of the A12. 

• The EIAs identified all the possible consequences of Brabantnet for the environment. These were approved on 3 September 2013. 

• The route study investigated different itineraries for the tram lines, identifying the advantages and disadvantages of each variant. The study singled out a preferred route for each tram line. 

• The social cost-benefit analysis (SCBA) measures the impact of introducing the tram. It literally measures the costs of introducing the tram and the benefits. The Flemish government decided to invest in tram lines whose benefits are consistently nearly twice or more than twice the costs. 

• De Lijn conducted an additional study into the possibilities and consequences of a route to the east of the A12. 

Result of the study 

In the study into the eastern and western variants of the tram route, the western variant did better. It scored 1.98 in the SCBA, whereas the eastern variant had a score of 1.63. The main differences between the two routes are as follows: 

1. The western variant is about 20 million euros cheaper than the eastern variant. 

2. The number of pieces of land to be acquired is greater for the western variant. The eastern variant shifts the problem from Meise to Londerzeel. 

3. Because the residential areas are separated from the tram line by the A12 in the eastern variant, 200,000 fewer travellers will take the tram each year. Although De Lijn is doing all it can to limit the impact of introducing the tram, it realises that that impact can be considerable at times. It wants to avoid the compulsory purchase procedure and to have personal and individual discussions with those affected. The Flemish government’s mediator will also play an important role in this.

Is the A12 such a significant barrier?

The crucial importance of the location of the stops is also clear from the number of travellers who take the train from the railway stations in Boom and Puurs, two comparable municipalities. In Boom, the A12 lies between the station and the residential areas. 

• Number of travellers: an average of 169 per day. In Puurs, the A12 does not lie between the station and the residential areas.

• Number of travellers: an average of 1,157 per day.

The A12 does therefore form a barrier to taking the train for residents. In Meise, a tram line on the other side of the A12 (the eastern route) would similarly be separated from the residential areas and therefore transport 200,000 fewer people.