The Flemish government has decided to temporarily halt the fast tram line project along the A12 motorway between Brussels and Willebroek, the office of Regional Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder (N-VA) confirmed on Friday.
The decision was made due to, among other things, the uncertainty about the financing of the route on the territory of the Brussels Region and the lack of support from the municipalities that would be served.
Earlier in the week, the mayor of Londerzeel, Nadia Sminate (N-VA), called for the project to be halted because it would not go beyond Heysel, instead of Brussels North station as originally planned.
De Ridder confirmed via her spokesperson that no budget had been allocated for this project during this legislative term, which means that it is at least "on hold."
The decision was taken despite years of preparatory studies. The route had been approved at the end of 2013. Based on a cost-benefit analysis, it was decided not to go further than Willebroek, instead of the original destinations of Boom and Bornem. Local residents protested and the municipalities concerned were not prepared to make substantial investments. The Flemish Public Works Agency nevertheless hoped to obtain its permit this year and complete the work by 2031.
According to De Ridder, "choices have to be made" between the many mobility projects in Flanders, including reconstruction and maintenance projects.
De Ridder's spokesperson also referred to the political situation in Brussels. "This rapid tram was initially supposed to go to Brussels North, but will now only go to Heysel, which means that the cost-benefit balance is no longer positive. Furthermore, the financing raises questions, given Brussels' budgetary situation, and support from the Flemish municipalities is insufficient."
The outgoing Brussels Minister for Mobility Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) criticised the decision. "It's absurd. The N-VA is inventing a supposed Brussels decision that simply does not exist. Until now, at every preparatory stage, the same guaranteed Brussels route has been used, via largely existing roads, from Heysel to Brussels North. Moreover, this route is also included in the information brochures of the Flemish administration, De Werkvennootschap," she said in a statement.
The statement added: "Why is the N-VA suddenly putting this project on hold? Does Flanders want to continue pushing commuters into Brussels by car while stifling alternatives? The cost-benefit analysis shows that the benefits are at least twice as high as the costs."
