Historical route (-1938)

The original tram route 6, also known as the "port route", ran between the Stuivenberg hospital and the present day Bolivarplaats (at the time, still the site of Antwerp-Zuid station), using the Lange Beeldekensstraat, Diepestraat, Brouwersvliet to the quays at the river Scheldt, and then following the quays all the way to its southern terminus. In 1938, the tram route was replaced by a trolleybus route, having a depot in the Somméstraat. On 30 March 1964, this trolleybus route itself was replaced by a regular bus route. The original trajectory is now a part of circular bus route 30/34 (depending on the direction of travel).^[3]

Present day route (2007-present)

On Saturday 27 October 2007, a new tram route 6 was opened, functioning as a new north-south connection through the pre-metro network, where previously, all pre-metro lines ran between Linkeroever in the west, and either northern or southern Antwerp. Although the route added some new parts to the operational tram network in Antwerp, no new tracks or tunnels had to be built. The largest part of the trams route, between the Gasthuishoeve stop and Astrid, and between Diamant and the Olympiade terminus, were already being used by tram routes 2,3 (and partially 5 and 15). The part between the Kinepolis terminus and the Gasthuishoeve stop was not in use by a regular tram route before the opening of route 6, but was already built, and was used by trams when going to, or coming from the "Punt aan de Lijn" depot next to the Kinepolis complex. The small part of the pre-metro network between Astrid and Diamant stations, part of a railway triangle, was also already present, but was until then only used by trams when not in service. Also the turning loop at the Olympiade was already present. This meant that only small works had to be done at the stops to enable service on route 6.^[4] After its opening, further works were executed at the Kinepolis and Olympiade turning loops.^[5]

As a part of the Masterplan 2020, the route was extended to the newly built Luchtbal (Havanasite) P+R in the northern part of the Luchtbal suburb on 3 June 2017, using new tram tracks on the renewed Noorderlaan.^[6] The trams had already stopped using the old Kinepolis turning loop on 5 November 2016, instead using a temporary loop at the nearby tram depot until the completion of the works.^[7] The extension of route 6 to the Luchtbal P+R is a part of the larger Noorderlijn project, aimed at improving public transport in the northern parts of Antwerp, and also including the renewal and construction of tram tracks of the Frankrijklei and Italiëlei, the renewal of the Operaplein and tram extensions in the Eilandje neighbourhood.^[8]

Tram 6 at its northern terminus