Tram services in Nieuwpoort were restored on Monday evening after a seven-hour disruption caused by a derailment that left six people with minor injuries, according to transport company De Lijn.
The incident occurred around 11:15 a.m. in Nieuwpoort-Bad, when a coastal tram derailed on the Albert I-laan near the bend at Elisalaan. While part of the tram veered off the tracks, it did not overturn. Six passengers sustained minor injuries and were taken to AZ West hospital in Veurne for treatment. Approximately 30 other passengers were temporarily accommodated before continuing their journey on replacement buses.
Tram traffic in both directions was halted following the derailment. De Lijn organised shuttle buses to transport passengers between Westende-Bad and the Sint-Bernardusplein stop in Nieuwpoort-Bad. Recovery operations were delayed as De Lijn’s towing services were already deployed to address two other tram derailments — one in Blankenberge on Sunday and another in Zeebrugge on Monday afternoon.
The tram derailed in Nieuwpoort was finally removed around 6:00 p.m., allowing normal tram operations to resume.
