Van Haelen

Not everything runs smoothly in Europe. On my first visit to Brussels, I travelled on route 55 (Bordet Station to Silence). Silence terminus was on Chausee de Alsemberg and the trams turned in an attractive 'wye' - a reversing trinagle into a side street. The picture below shows the tram having arrived from behind the photographer, before it reverses into the side street ready for a trip back to the City and beyond. Just noticeable beyond the car is a section of disconnected double tram track. This had already by then been laid for some time and it continued further down the road to Van Haelen. This was right on the border with a neighbouring authority who duly prevented STIB from building a terminus so the new tramway remained disused.

The impasse was finally solved when a suitable plot of land within the municipal boundary was acquired. A two track terminus was built and opened in 2008. By now route 55 had become route 51 to Heysel. The view below shows the terminus in the background and a short section of abandoned but unused track in the foreground pointing the way to the intended terminus - perhaps as a reminder of the folly of the neighbouring authority.


These double slip junctions seem popular in Brussels at the moment. A similar one has gone in at Louisa.