Tram route 9
Itinerary of tram route 9
Overview
LocaleAntwerp
Termini
Stations18
Color on mapwhite text on orange background
Service
Typetram
SystemAntwerp tram network
Operator(s)De Lijn
Rolling stockHermeLijn, PCC (coupled)
History
OpenedSeptember 1, 2012
Route map

 P+R Linkeroever
 Regatta
 Sporthal
 A. Van Cauwelaert
 Halewijn
 Van Eeden
 Groenplaats
 Meir
 Opera
 Diamant
 Plantin
 Zurenborg
 Cuperus
 Berchem railway station
 Groenenhoek
 Apollo
 De Preter
 Te Boelaarpark
 Cruyslei
 Jozef Verboven
 Deurne Eksterlaar

Tram route 9 is a route in the Antwerp tram network connecting the Eksterlaar neighborhood in southern Deurne with Linkeroever using the Antwerp premetro network between Plantin and Van Eeden stations.[1] The present day route was officially opened on September 1, 2012, as part of a revision of the network map.

History

Historic route (-1953)

The first tram route 9 originally operated a route between the Van Schoonbekeplein, near the Eilandje neighborhood, and Antwerpen Berchem station, using a trajectory via Meirbrug, the Stadspark and Dageraadplaats. In 1953 however, tram tracks were broken up, and the route was replaced by bus route 9, following the same itinerary. Later, bus route 9 was extended from Berchem station to the Fruithoflaan, also in Berchem.

After the opening of the new tram route, the operation of bus route 9 was suspended.[2] The trajectory between Berchem station and the Fruithoflaan was transferred to the newly created bus routes 90, 91 and 92, which subsequently continue there itinerary to Mortsel and either Lier, Waarloos or Kontich.[3] In 2014, the trajectory of these lines was slightly modified to better service the Fruithoflaan, resuming the old route of bus line 9 in the street, which had previously not been the case.[4]

Present day route (2012-)

Zurenborg tram stop

On September 1, 2012, the new tram route 9 was officially opened on the Linkeroever-Eksterlaar trajectory as a part of a large scale redrawing of the Antwerp public transport network. The new route replaced tram route 11 on the Eksterlaar-Berchem station trajectory, as this route had been shortened to the latter, and introduced a new premetro connection between Berchem and Linkeroever.[5] Between Berchem station and Plantin premetro station, the route uses a part of the tram network and a premetro entrance that had previously only been in use for trams running between their depot and destined lines, although it had already been used temporarily in 1988 by route 8 and in the 1990s by route 11 due to construction works on their original trajectories.

On this trajectory was, along with the opening of route 9, also built a new tram stop named Zurenborg, being located in the famous Art Nouveau Zurenborg neighborhood.[6] This stop is currently the only one in the entire Antwerp tram network making use of an island platform. Because trams in Antwerp do in general only have doors on the right side of the vehicle, the trams on route 9 are required to drive on the left side of the road when halting at the stop.

Colour

Trams on route 9 use combination of white text, depicting the number 9 and the destination, and an orange background.

Rolling Stock

Most trams on route 9 are of the more modern HermeLijn type. However, older coupled PCC cars can still sporadically been seen on the route.

References

  1. ↑ De Lijn. "9 Linkeroever - Eksterlaar".
  2. ↑ "District en De Lijn praten over alternatieven bus 9". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Dutch). March 27, 2012.
  3. ↑ De Lijn. "Network map Antwerpen - Edegem - Mortsel - Zwijndrecht" (PDF).
  4. ↑ "Bussen rijden binnenkort weer in Fruithoflaan". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). March 7, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Tramwijzigingen Antwerpen". ANieuws (in Dutch). February 24, 2012.
  6. ↑ De Lijn. "Stop Antwerpen-Zurenborg".
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