The Longest Tram Line in the World | Kusttram - Belgium Coast Tram

Belgium's Coast Tram (Kusttram) is the longest tram line in the world, but it might not stay that way. Learn more about this very unique transit line in this video!
Special Thanks to Bart Kromwijk and David Eerdmans for providing the footage used in this video!
Bart's channel: / 112bartjk
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Hi, my name's Reece. I'm a passionate Creator, Transportation Planner, and Software Developer, interested in rapid transportation all around my home base of Toronto, Canada, as well as the whole world!

[@bollejy]

Just rode it a few weeks ago at the end of my Belgian exchange semester. It's a great experience and even in winter you can easily get off everywhere you want, walk a few stops at the beach or through a city and then catch the next tram.

[@RMTransit]

Sounds like my kind of exchange semester!

[@S404_44]

another cool thing about the Kusttram is that because all the Flemish tram systems are so similar, they regularily move trams from one to the other. So when during the summer, schools are closed and many people are on holiday, trams from Ghent (and maybe Antwerp too?) are brought to the coast, so that the Kusttram can run more frequently. Then they are returned in the autumn, when the urban lines are getting more busy again.

[@TheEpicAppleEater01]

Very interesting point Simon thank you. Seasonal tram migration haha

[@FrederikVds]

Not from Antwerp. Antwerp has one-directional trams (with rail loops everywhere) instead of bidirectional ones like Ghent and the coast.

[@JaapFilius]

@@FrederikVds The "Kusttram" has several loops and they used to have one-directional trams only. In later years some bi-directional trams came on the line (one or two prototypes from manufacturer BN, now Bombardier, and some borrowed trams from Ghent). The new CAF low-floor trams for this line are also one-directional.

[@Kimirafer]

Kinda correct, with a caveat. There used to be plenty of trams for summer services at the coast, but because of the nature of the line, accidents happen and after 30 or so years, there was a shortage of trams during the summer. This is why the trams from Ghent where brought over.

[@bertjorissen2797]

The trams are ALWAYS one-directional. The bi-directional trams are actually trams from Ghent on a 'vacation'. All the HermeLijn trams are also taken from the other cities there the coast already had the BN-trams. However, the loading gauge of the coast tram is different from the ones in Antwerp and Ghent, such that trams can only run to the coast, and not the other way round. The coast tram (BN) also hasn't really got a speed-limiter. Some trams have speeds up to 80km/h. The newer trams (Hermelijn and CAF) go up to 70km/h. Because of this higher speed, the trams are also equipped with a loud horn. Sometimes, when the trams are brought back to Antwerp or Ghent, they forget turning back on the limiter to 50 km/h or turning of the horn. I've also got on a tram in Antwerp filled with stickers and maps for the coast. Though, in recent years, they stopped doing the migration of the trams to both cities. However, some of the trams of Antwerp and Ghent remained so that the drivers can train on using those trams. As a side-note, it is interesting to see that Antwerp has only one-directional trams, and Ghent only has bi-directional trams. Some of the old trams from Ghent are also used in Antwerp to assist during works when turning loops aren't accessible. All the drivers learn how to operate these bi-directional trams in Antwerp. The disadvantage of these trams is that they aren't equipped with the metro-safety-stuff, such that they can only be used on select lines. In recent years they also installed these metro-safety-systems to enforce temporary safety restrictions. Some of the old trams without these safety-systems still took these paths during the works, and could thus just drive further without the speed being adjusted. I've also been on a tram where the driver forgot to turn on the safety-system upon entering the metro.

[@100tijs]

Interesting fact, the Belgian coast tram uses a quite ingenious system to reduce noise. Because of the tight and many curves, the wheels of the trams often make quite a lot of noise when screeching against rails. The coast tramline uses GPS tracking in the trams and when these trams approach particulars curves they apply some sort of grease on the tracks in front of the tram, reducing the noise with 10dB.

[@adrienrenaux6211]

I really think the reason why this is still there is that the Belgian coast is a big internal tourist attraction. Most of the towns the Tram goes through have their economy based around tourism. And a lot of the tourists take the Train to Ostende, Blankenberg, De Panne or Knokke. From there the tram links you to all of the other towns along the coast. I have very fond memories of taking the train to Ostende and then the Tram to De Haan to go to my grandparent's appartment there

[@1121494]

As someone who had a few stints living in Belgium along The Line in Oostduinkerke and using and enjoying it, and having discussed about it on your discord, I've really been waiting and looking forward to this video of yours. Thanks.

[@RMTransit]

Thanks for watching!

[@Fan652w]

Interesting video. But you miss what I (Roger Sexton) would regard as the most crucial point. While the line runs 365-days year with a WINTER frequency of every 20 minutes, it is extremely busy in July and August and runs every 10 minutes, with extra trams in the Ostend area. Post-Covid, leisure travel may well be just as important as travel for work or education purposes. On the Belgian coast they already know how to cope with masses of leisure travellers! (The line in Gold Coast Queensland is perhaps just comparable to the Belgian coastline - consider also Blackpool England which is much shorter.) (On long tram routes note the circular Route 5 in the Rhine-Neckar conurbation in Germany.)

[@Hans-gb4mv]

Not only that, but they even move trams from a major city like Antwerp to the coastal line in the summer months because a city like Antwerp can run with fewer trams in those months due to many people taking time off and leaving the city.

[@RMTransit]

For sure, a lot of transit infrastructure is seasonal!

[@barvdw]

@@WhitewalkerII To be honest, I'd prefer to reopen the railway line from De Panne. This would reduce the travel time to Dunkerque more than a tram line.

[@billybob-vu2gc]

Peak autism (in a good way)

[@WILD4X4D]

@@billybob-vu2gc I'd say it's less likely if they are an older person. But if this person is under 30. Oh boy, are they ever one of the gang.

[@tsk67166]

Very cool tram line. I believe it's similar to tram line 46 between Łódź and Ozorków in Poland. It was ca. 30 km long and it used to connect one huge city (Łódź) with smaller ones (including Zgierz and Ozorków among others). Sadly the line is suspended since 2018 and at this moment there's no hope for restoration.

[@RMTransit]

Very sad indeed!

[@JaapFilius]

The coast-tram in Belgium has loops at every terminus they need for their services: they have no bi-directional trams for their basic services of their own. In summer the main road the line follows is packed with cars: this tramline is really needed to keep things going, especially during the holiday times. A suggestion for a reaction: the tram (RNV) around Mannheim - Ludwigshafen - Heidelberg in Germany: a 206km long connected 1000mm track tram network.The connecting element between the cities is a 55km long circle line (in triangle shape): Mannheim - Weinheim - Heidelberg - Mannheim (line 5). And also an almost 20km long line: Mannheim - Ludwigshafen - Bad Dürkheim (line 4). Both lines are both tram and local railway and the trams have to be fitted with two safety- and signal systems on board. In addition Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg do also have their own local tram networks. RNV is not an old company. It is a fusion (in 2006) between 5 tramway companies: Mannheim, Ludwighafen, Heidelberg, OEG (Oberrheinische Eisenbahn Gesellschaft) and RHB (Rhein-Haardtbahn).

[@manurenier2534]

I have never ever heard a guy speak so passionate about a tram like really man I love how you adore the tram I take for my daily occasions. Ive never wondered so much about it until this day. I really can say I've learned stuff from your video. Thank you and have a nice day . Greetings from Knokke (endstation of kustram)

[@cityjetproductions]

The old trams are the same as those used on the Charleroi Metro except single ended and retrofitted with a low floor middle section, from back when both were run by the SNCV instead of their respective regional transit agencies. It's crazy to think that these two systems were once interconnected and that it was possible to make a very slow journey from one to the other using only the vicinals.

[@spm9153]

As you mentioned, the Belgian Coastal Tram was actually part of a much larger network, the SNCV, which was at its peak (1937) the longest interurban tramway network in the world with almost 5000 Km. In fact, until the beginning of the years 2000s (I don't remember the exact date), the Coastal Tram was built and serviced as two different lines. Line 1 Knocke - Ostende Pl.Marie-José (national time table number 765) and Line 2 Ostende Station - La Panne (national time table number 768). Although there were some through trams, especially in the early morning and late evening hours, mostly the passengers had to change at Ostende Station, where the other line was waiting. The central section Ostende Station - Ostende Pl.Marie-José (1 stop) was served by both lines. In 1981, during the modernisation, there were almost no through services at all, because the already modernised line 1 had the new BN trams, while line 2 was still running with S trains. When the modernisation was finished in 1983 and both lines only run by BN trams, there were more and more through services, but they still changed number at Ostende Station. At the beginning of the years 2000s, the line numbers 1 and 2 were abandonned and since then, they are officially considered as one line (officially line 0, but there is no number shown on the trams).

[@leonpaelinck]

And now it's no longer "0" but "KT" (Kusttram)

[@daninio5004]

I've taken that tram on multiple occasions... it's really usefull because it can connect the smaller coastal cities with Oostende which has a trainstation with good connection to other big Belgian cities (Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp, Liège and Kortrijk) It really makes it easier to get anywhere at the coast which is mostly usefull for tourism there.

[@Maxime_K-G]

3:35 Gotta say, as a frequent Coast Tram user, I don't like the double-ended trams as they don't have the spot at the rear where you have an awesome view of the road behind you. Luckily the new batch they bought has this spot again. While it may not be very efficient at covering long distances it is very scenic, seeing the cities and dunes pass by.

[@leonpaelinck]

Coastal tram doesn't need double ended trams

[@Maximevete]

Correction, They are NOT dubbelended. There are about 48 new caf trams at the coastal tramline. The trams you see in the video are now all replaced. The lastone got delivered last month. Antwerp wil get the exact same type but 10cm smaller. There will be about 10 bidirectional cafs for Antwerp. The rest will all be unidirectional.

[@ArnoutVI]

I love the coastal tram, when i'm staying at the coast, i'll always take those trams. it's easy and brings me to all the things i would like to visit.

[@ahkotl8269]

When I saw the title, I immediately thought of that time I was in Belgium and walked to the dunes to catch a tram. Turns out, it was exactly the tram track of this video :)

[@robinplanchenault8142]

yeay!! Finally a tram line that I know I live in Belgium and I've ridden this line for nearly a hundred times. Although it kind of feels more like light rail than tram

[@leonpaelinck]

it used to be more of a railway from the buurtspoorwegen

[@karbengo]

I don't know if it was my comment in a previous video about the Kusttram and the belgian transist system at large that prompted thisnew video to appear, but I am happy to watch it. :)

[@imaginox9]

Oh a video on a line in my country ! Cool ! I had the occasion of doing the whole line twice, and I do many shorter trips on it nearly every summer. I've always loved this line ! Just a quick note: no, the new CAF trams are not double ended 😉 ! Since you're planning on covering more about Belgium, I could totally help you with the Brussels Metro !

[@aapjeaaron]

Ah Finally, Really looking forward to you covering more of Belgium's transit.

[@aselwyn1]

excited to see some more Belgian content Antwerp Central is honestly a amazingly designed station and is beautiful

[@leonpaelinck]

But why is it a "final" station?

[@fujin09]

@@leonpaelinck it is not a final station, trains continue via a tunnel below the city

[@trains_worldwide]

I took it and filmed the entire ride of it last summer. The whole 2h30min. It was an amazing ride along the sea and dunes for just 2€50.

[@TheEpicAppleEater01]

That sounds super relaxing I'll have EU visit and try it sometime

[@trains_worldwide]

@@TheEpicAppleEater01 The ride in itself isn't really relaxing. The trams are old and some sand end up in the rails due to the wind so it's pretty bumpy and the seats (benches) are not designed at all for a 2h30 ride

[@Geotpf]

@@trains_worldwide Los Angeles' fare for the longer ride will be even less, $1.75.

[@aselwyn1]

@@trains_worldwide really depends on what model of tram you take as there are 3 that have been operating on the line the 6000's are quite old. the HermeLijnen are pretty decent but those are temp borrowed from Gent and the all new CAF Urbos ones currently being delivered should be quite nice.

[@lauscholiver6544]

Pls make a video on the Budapest M1 subway. (I think it is interesting because it is the first electric subway in the world.) Awesome video btw!!

[@KhanPiesseONE]

The light rail system in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia (G:Link) - will be almost 40 kilometres long when it is finished being extended down to the Coolangatta Airport. It is a huge project for the region and has stirred so much controversy despite being an awesome transit project. I thought it was crazy long for a light rail, boy was I wrong.

[@JayJayGamerOfficial]

Yeah, I thought it was absurdly long extending out if the city to end at a station, personally I would like to see a metro but with riding the tram before, it doesn't get too crowded and doesn't get stuck in traffic as much as other trams like here in Sydney

[@RMTransit]

G Link is nice for sure, I remember watching videos about it years ago before the first part even opened!

[@marcvolgers8352]

Cool you mention this line. Last year we've been on vacation to Bredene, close to Oostende. I've only done the ride from Oostende to Bredene a few times. I wanted to do the entire line, but it takes a long time so I discarded the idea.

[@dog-ez2nu]

I wish Belgium kept its vicinal tramways - plus, look at Japan, even on narrow gauge you can get some decent speeds.

[@RMTransit]

You can, but it's difficult to compete and in some cases lines were excessive

[@leonpaelinck]

I live in Belgium and I was honestly surprised when I found out only four cities have tram lines. I assumed at least every "student" city like Gent and Leuven had trams.

[@heronimousbrapson863]

The British Columbia Electric interurban line, which had passenger service from about 1897 to 1958, ran from Vancouver to Chilliwack, a distance of about 100 km.

[@lyanaducky]

You should do a video about the 3-state-crossing tram network of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, Weinheim in Germany. It's one of those examples of closeby cities that connected their tram networks

[@railwaytunes]

Great video! I'm super exicted for the next videos on Belgium because I'm from Belgium!

[@wavemaker10111]

An interesting interurban tram example can be found in Germany connecting Mannheim & Ludwigshafen’s conjoined tram network with Heidelberg’s. Two separate interurban routes called the OEG connect the two metropolitan areas via two completely different routes and they seem to be quite well utilized! If you consider the three cities and their interurban connections, it’s one of the largest tram networks in Germany! Also, when I took the tram in Bordeaux to La Cité du Vin, I noticed an alternate route to cross the canal that passes through the area. Very cool!

[@popelgruner595]

Go for the RHB or Rhein-Haardt-Bahn which was interconnected with another tram line to form a new line that connects the city of Heidelberg with the Haardt mountain range running through vineyards in parts of its way. A really lovely line.

[@futurerails8421]

The connected tram network in the Ruhr Area is even bigger despite beeing only the biggest of many remnants of a much bigger network.

[@MarioFanGamer659]

The most interesting part is that they also blur the line between tram-trains and interurbans by the fact that the Rhine-Neckar metro, particularly the Mannheim-Heidelberg-Weinheim triangle, feature many old narrow gauge railways (and are legally still treated like them) but are only run by these trams. It doesn't help that many of them are very close to streets or in case of Seckenheim in Mannheim _on_ the street which is untypical for normal railways.

[@tecnodrone1754]

Reece I don't think you are aware about this. There is 94km tram service from Alicante to Denia, in Spain. It is serviced by two lines due to its length. Line 1 takes you from Alicante to Benidorm, and line 9 from Benidorm to Denia. There could perfectly be a line from Alicante to Denia, because the tracks allow it, it just isn't a thing because of practicality. It has meter gauge and some sections of line 9 are single track between stations, where the northbound trams and southbound trams can cross each other. Pretty cool system, you could make a video about it.

[@pearlyhumbucker9065]

@RM Double ended trams are not the same as bi-directional trams. The DoubleEnders at Kusttram are one-directional, they use loops at the end of the lines and have doors only on the right side. AFAIK most of the CAF Urbos sport symmetrical ends, this does not mean they can be used in both directions. The existence of a (usually minimal) driver's cab at the end of the train also does not have the significance of bidirectional operation - most trams have a usually minimalist driver's cab at the rear to enable the trains to be shunted backwards without problems or danger.

[@jack2453]

The key point that makes the issues you raise about frequency and speed bearable is that everyone using the tram is on holidays (or retired).

[@leonpaelinck]

also, almost nobody takes it to travel the entire coastline

[@henreereemanmini3973]

LOL I love how an infrequent service in Europe is like every 10-15 minutes but here in my town of Galena in Illinois there is a train every 2 minutes to Chicago, and many locals complain about the limited frequency!

[@MrAljosav]

Sorry but I doubt you get trains every 2 mins to Chicago from Galena (I checked and I can't find any timetables for there?). That being said, Chicago L and MTA NY Subway are really the only outliers in American Public Transit systems that provide frequencies on par with many European systems. In regards to Europe, yes many systems offer every 10-15 mins (or even better like in Paris Metro, London Underground, Oslo T-Bane, Berlin S-Bahn). Then you have systems like Zurich S-Bahn (which everyone keeps raving about having the best integrated public transport system) but interestingly, when you breakdown the individual lines in the Zurich S-Bahn and you'll find most of the lines run every 30 or 60 minutes, which is certainly not the "frequency is freedom" mantra that public transport advocates espouse to! However, even at lower frequencies these services are well used in Europe, compared to American and Australian cities where you'll find practically empty trains (at night at least) even if they run quite frequently. The reason for this is that the culture is car-dominated in Australia/America's sprawling low-density suburban areas, compared to the more public transport dominated culture of most European cities in their smaller, more compact and denser urban areas, where they don't really have an option to drive!

[@sral787]

The coast tram is not double-ended. It does look like that from the outside, but if you look closely, you'll see it only has mirrors on the driving side. When you take a look inside, you see that you can dit in the back part of the tram and that there is no controle panel.

[@Sacto1654]

An interesting tidbit: the "interurban" line from eastern Kyoto to Ōtsu run by Keihan Electric Railway was completely rebuilt in the 1990's to essentially become part of the Kyoto Subway system. As such, they switched from 600 V DC overhead power to 1,500 V DC overhead power and switched to more modern train sets, as such by the still image in 3:05 of your video.

[@andrewclarkson3401]

Great video! Here are my questions: Does the extreme length of such lines make them harder to manage? In other words is it less likely that trams running every 10 minutes will be able to stay 10 minutes apart on such a long line as compared to a more normal length line? If not, How do transit agencies keep the spacing even? A topic for a separate video?

[@Iamwatchingyou75]

I hardly think so. This line is 27 km long, but it's system is very simple. Their is 1 line. Systems with multiple short lines using the same infrastructure are much harder to manage.

[@Robbedem]

As Iamwatchingyou75 mentioned, it's just one line. So trams can easily wait a minute at a stop without hindering other services when they are running early.

[@RMTransit]

It's a good question to ask! I'll make a video on this in the future!

[@terryshi5620]

@Iamwatchingyou75 Indeed, the single-line system makes it pretty easy to arrange the intervals when services are normal. But will it be harder to manage when accidents and malfunctions happen in route？I mean, one breakdown segment/vehicle can dismantle the entire line's service in the worst case. Are there sidings or turn-back points in the line to deal with the problems?

[@aphextwin5712]

@@terryshi5620 I would assume that if there is an interruption at one point that cuts the line in two, you’ll simply get two independent tram lines that operate only on their side of the interruption. Sure, it will mess up the schedule a bit, but with a frequent schedule it shouldn’t take long for it to return to the original timetable.

[@stroll-and-roll]

Very interesting video and tram line! I think tram lines are ideal for small to medium towns as their main rail public transport. In bigger cities they can be a good addition to metros and regional trains.

[@fjellyo3261]

I agree. Cool channel btw 👍.

[@BrokenCurtain]

Imagine travelling from the Netherlands to France and taking that coastal tram to do so.

[@1121494]

Dammit, I've lived along it before, but never minded to chech out how long that would take.

[@Robbedem]

@@1121494 there are videos about it and the video length of a single journey is 2:30u . I suspect the trip itself is a bit shorter (maybe 2:20 ?) Just search for "kusttram" or "coastel tram Belgium".

[@RMTransit]

You're gonna have to get off the tram for the end bits!

[@thenoob4705]

While i've never travelled the whole coastline of belgium *by tram* before, i have cycled the entire length from the Netherlands to France before, it's a pretty nifty experience. The tram does stop several km's short of both borders though, it in fact goes between the mainline train station of De Panne (west/near France/line to Lichtervelde and Ghent) and Knokke (east/near NL/line to Bruges), so going border-to-border by transit will require a bit of walking :P

[@BrokenCurtain]

@@Robbedem Thanks, those cab rides are one of those things that I really like about KZbin. I often use Berlin's "Linie 21", which only needs about 50 minutes to get from one terminus to the other.

[@davedewel4296]

Hi, First, the new CAF trams can't run in 2 ways. There is 1 drivercab in front, 1 emerency post at the end. Note that there are only doors on one side off the trams. And all trams use loops to go arround. Second, there are 3 places where the trams pass a bridge. All 3 with extra tracks to go arround. 1 in Oostende and 2 in Zeebrugge. Third. The coastline is already very old. Almost 135 years. And it survived the demice off all the trams in de country. So you can say that it is very useful. In summer there is a section with a 5minute interval. The coasttram is used a lot by toerists.

[@Croz89]

It's probably not just for emergencies, single end trams often need to reverse in depots, and the rear console makes this safer to do.

[@lausimeyer6558]

Great video! An interesting and huge metric gauge tram-network is in the Rhein-Neckar-Area in Germany. It goes from Bad Dürkheim via Ludwigshafen-Mannheim-Heidelberg to Weinheim in the north and Leimen (the hometown of Boris Becker) in the south.

[@PhilipSalen]

When I used to live in Philadelphia in the late 1980s in early 1990s, I would sometimes take the number 23 trolley from Chestnut Hill Philadelphia all the way down to center City Philadelphia. I'm a little confused about the differences between trolleys and trams; however, this was definitely the longest trolley / tram route in Philadelphia and I believe possibly the United States at the time. Sadly, SEPTA discontinued the service possibly because the trolleys were about 50 years old, unair conditioned, and broke down frequently. But they were very scenic.

[@JBS319]

I think the 23 was the longest tram/streetcar/trolley line that ran entirely in the street. The tracks and wires are still there for the most part, and it's still I believe officially a "temporary bus substitution" that has now gone on for about 30 years.

[@andrewweitzman4006]

Trams and trolleys are the same thing, depending on whether you are European/British (tram) or American (trolley).

[@RMTransit]

Trolley vs. Tram is really just a terminology thing for the vehicles. Though I think tram is quite a bit more common a term on the whole.

[@genoobtlp4424]

@@andrewweitzman4006 far as I know, there is a difference: trolley refers to a trolley pole equipped vehicle, and thus can also refer to a trolley bus, though in the english speaking world, trolley pole trams and interurbans were so much more common, trolley buses are rarely if ever called trolleys, streetcar seems to have been for self propelled street running rail lines in the age before cars as we know them today, interurbans the term for lines that crossed through the countryside into new towns (urbs in latin), while tram most likely comes from the electric bells installed on electric streetcars (which is why vienna calls their streetcars the bim). In the olden days, there used to be a whole lot of street running railways, like big steam trains, cable cars, steam trams, gas (coal gas powered) trams, single car MUs, EMU with one or more trailer cars, Steam loco and trailers, pantographs and trolley poles, thought I doubt there were any third rail street runners, oh and don’t forget the original horse drawn streetcar, which might also explain the word streetcar since the cars were bound to run on streets unlike your normal horse cart that could go wherever the hell you wanted… But these days, it’s mostly a regional difference as different words stuck, though there’s the new fangled light rail, which probably got invented to make it sound „just as good“ heavy rail (big trains and subways) but lighter on everything (that includes demand they can handle or speeds they can usually handle and other stuff you’d usually want from a good heavy rail backbone, but don’t tell the politicians or you won’t get anything)

[@JBS319]

@@RMTransit tram in North America is equivalent to cable car in Europe: see the Peak 2 Peak Tram or the Roosevelt Island Tram or the Tramway at several ski resorts. Tram in the United States in particular tends to refer to jig-back reversible ropeways generally with two large cabins that in German would be classified as Pendelbahn.

[@marksinthehouse1968]

Manchester has got some length to some of its lines serving the towns in the greater Manchester area,you know when being planned they were looking at street running on the DLR ,all the best Reece, Mark 👍🏻😊

[@mdhazeldine]

Very cool line. This would work great in concert with a faster regional rail line that connects the bigger towns/cities. This could then be used for shorter trips along the route. I don't think many people would ride this the entire length unless there's no faster alternative.

[@martinbitter4162]

Just did the full route today but I had to get out at Blankenberge for a walk. Der Lijn is sensible for its tourist costumers.

[@thorbjrnthaarup6794]

I took the this tram as a pub crawl with some mates a few years ago. Good times.

[@mKEiesp]

3:06 that's Otsu in Japan. Nice vid btw

[@RMTransit]

Yep, it's lovely!

[@sideduck6501]

We also need a video about the shortest tram line in the world!

[@Q-hoofd]

Funny to see someone talking about a tram that ive been taking my whole life

[@Geno2733]

Western Pennsylvania used to have interlocking tram lines. You could go from Washington to New Castle via trams

[@alexandervanspeybrouck9042]

By the way, because they have now the new coastel trams, they will not transport the Hermelijn-trams anymore, because the coast tram doesn't need any extra trams anymore (I live in Belgium and I am a big PublicTransportFan.)

[@ye6207]

This tram line has one mayor flaw, and that is sand. Every time there is too much wind, sand clogs up on the tram line which has to be removed before service can be resumed.

[@RJM56]

Think of it not as a flaw but a feature. Couldn't be a "Kusttram" without the "kustzand".

[@DonRicoKing]

This tram has some Spirited Away. It reminds me a bit of the sea train. I also rode it in late summer and it was a very cool experience. They are also some historic sites at the tram track, notably the Westwall museum close to Oostende.

[@alexandervanspeybrouck9042]

In Belgium, it is common for meter gauge to be used for streetcars. Only Brussels does not. Charleroi (which is actually a metro but the rolling stock are old BN Coast streetcars), Ghent, Antwerp and the coast has meter gauge.

[@nielspemberton59]

The Interurban Era has NEVER ENDED. There's the Kust Tram in Belgium, the OEB in Mannheim Germany, Metrolink in the Manchester UK Region( the British Interurban given the assent by Maggie Thatcher and the Queen !), the Polish Warsaw, Lodz and Katowice systems, the Barcelona FGC System, The German Ruhr Tram System, The German Cologne System, The Rome Italy local railway system, The Frauenfeld Wil line in Switzerland, The Tatra Railroad in Slovakia, The Lille - Roubaix line and the Lyon - Lyon Airport line in France, The Vienna Baden line in Austria, The Den Haag -Delft line and the Randstad line in Holland, the PATH Interurban in the New York New Jersey Region, the South Shore Line in Chicago and Indiana, the BART System @ San Francisco, the LA Metro Blue, Gold, Green, and Purple lines, the Urquiza system in Buenos Aires, The Hankyu, Kaihan, Odakyu and Nankai Electric Railways in Japan, The Binhai LRT line in Tianjin China, Line GF between Guangzhou and Foshun in China, and Line 11 of the Suzhao Metro connecting Suzhao and Shanghai in China. Finally the Capital Train in Cairo Egypt connecting Cairo and referred to as 'Light Rail Transit'), connecting Adly Mansour (the present eastern L3 terminus) to Ramadan and the new Central Capital. Potential interurbans are the REM in Montreal and The ION Network in Waterloo in Canada, The Link light rail in Seattle, the DART System in Dallas TX, The San Diego Trolley, the LYNX System in Charlotte NC, and the MAX system in Portland OR. Someday every country will have an interurban !

[@Standartt01]

@RMTransit the tramline, Grenaabanen opened recently, in central Jutland, Denmark. At 68.9 km it beats the 67 km long Kusttram in Belgium. That is a single route, but in the city it connects with the Odderbanen making the total Aarhus Tram Line, 110 km. But yes it's quite new and barely beats it, if only considering 1 route of the line. So no biggie at all. But nice video:))

[@Standartt01]

Sorry to break it to you, but i found out that the L1 route is actually the entire line lenght going from Odder through Aarhus and all the way to Grenaa, being 110 km long.

[@mateofruck1640]

Fantastic video!! Might you consider making a video about those alternate track arrangements? I think it would be really cool!! Like the option of always having one bridge available.

[@andrewcalvin9267]

And as an Australian, I'm proud to have ridden the entire length in 2018

[@quoniam426]

The alternative track to avoid a bridge over a canal or ship yard exit can be found in Bordeaux on Line B is memory serves. There is alternate track to be used when the bassin is opened to boats but it is only one track where the normal way is on the bassin door with two tracks, although as it takes a detour and it near a former terminus station that can serve as a end point for some of the trams, I guess one track is all we need as a detour and the bassin door is not opened that frequently. (it rotates horizontally)

[@NotReallySan]

FINALLY YOU TALKED ABOUT IT

[@vladislavsidorov8292]

Great video! Decent job

[@msautos9571]

This is like the Holy Grail for Tram enthusiasts... Got to ride it a couple weeks ago definitly reccomend.

[@AnnaRebeccaN9]

Nice, bart kromwijk footage, 😊

[@danielpihera3459]

Prague tram would be cool to see

[@bronxsportsfan]

Once the Regional Connector opens this Summer...you've read my mind! The Pasadena-Long Beach (Line A) is slated to become the longest tram/light rail line in the world! The last true interurban line in the United States seem to be the South Shore Line, running between Chicago (Millennium Station) and the airport serving South Bend, Indiana. It is also being expanded to serve Southwest Indiana (near the Indiana-Illinois border in towns like Dyer and Valparaiso, Ind.)

[@JBS319]

Of course, then you have the question of what is light rail vs a tram? The Union Station to Azusa section in particular uses the right-of-way of the Santa Fe, the route of the Chief, Super Chief and El Capitan and later Amtrak's Southwest Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles. So it operates along what was a busy mainline railroad. While there is street running for a few blocks in Highland Park, it doesn't share lanes with traffic. Meanwhile, the southern section of the line from Los Angeles to Long Beach is along the former Pacific Electric, which was one of the largest Interurbans in the United States and does run in mixed traffic following traffic signals at points.

[@Geotpf]

@@JBS319 The street running section in the Pasadena area does sometimes have to stop for street lights even though it has a dedicated right of way in the middle of a street.

[@quintiax]

I use the tram line weekly! It's a nice experience and they run more frequently on time than the other trams in the country. However you did make a fair point at how feasible it is in the modern day. The tram isn't fast, at all. To go from Nieuwpoort to Ostend it takes about 40 minutes, whilst you can easily get there in less than 30 minutes by car. Maybe a conversion to traintrams might be a sound idea, but I can't complain much about it now. It's a good system, slow, but gets the job done well.

[@leonpaelinck]

In Belgium almost everybody at the coast is a tourist, so it's perfect. When people go to the coast by car they never need to use it there.

[@bahnspotterEU]

Speaking of inter-urban lines, my personal favourite in Germany is Cologne line 16 which, along with its sister line 18, connects Cologne to the city of Bonn, around 35km to the south. These lines used to be operated by the “Cologne-Bonn Railway” company, until they were integrated into the Stadtbahn network around 1978. What makes them fascinating is that they used proper high-floor trains and not trams, and their service ran on their own right-of-way as kind of a competitor to the state railway line between the two cities. They even bought express cars in the sixties that had a top speed of 120kph, although if they ever reached that in service I don’t know. With its express and local service, it certainly seems a lot more exciting than today’s all-local Stadtbahn service.

[@futurerails8421]

But this lines are not interurbans, they are one of the first prototypes of tramtrains even older than Karlsruhe. Both Railways are still classified as railways they just use DC power and special switches to allow railway and lightrail vehicles.

[@GerhardMack]

If you ever want to take something scenic. Check out Alicante tram line 9 that goes up the coast of the Mediterranean. It doesn't go fast, but the views are nice and it's actually more comfortable than taking the bus.

[@abhishekjain2444]

I would love for you to cover the Osaka Tokya line, especially comparing it to the road and how efficient and fast the rail is!

[@chrisf874]

@RMTransit what you don't mention, and perhaps should show on your map, is that there are a number of mainline railways that terminate at the coastal towns. The Kusttram connects with these, with stops at the stations, and provides feeder connections to these lines to go anywhere in Belgium (or Europe). It is not an isolated system. Mainline terminus stations: Adinkerke (west end of Kusttram), Oostende (AKA Ostend), Blankenberge, Zeebrugge, Knokke-Heist (east end of Kusttram)

[@Arnenys440]

The trams are not double ended btw, not even the new ones. They’re unidirectional and will need to keep using all turning loops and triangles.

[@heirofptah]

My First Transit Love, loved to ride it as a child

[@fallfaith6590]

Longest *insert gadgetbahn* in the world: THE SERIES

[@Dexter037S4]

Would probably be the Skytrain, unironically.

[@RMTransit]

Haha，there are some very long monorails out there

[@leonpaelinck]

this is not a gadgetbahn

[@3kockeleda]

I’d love to see you cover the ZET tramline you featured at the start of the video (blue trams) - it has a quite long history and a lot of things going for it

[@Laurabeck329]

I second this! (he would probably rip it to shreds though)

[@daniel.septembre]

I guessed right. :> I wasn't sure, but I knew of this tram line and figured it could be the longest in the world.

[@jacool2565]

I'm not sure whether the "tranvía de la bahía" in Cádiz, Spain would count as a tram-train or as an interurban. It's a brand-new tram line being built in Spain by Renfe, the Spanish national rain operator. It's also designed to connect with the regional rail in Cádiz. It's a very special occasion because it's the first time ever Renfe has done light rail or trams, and that's why I thnk it might deserve a video on its own.

[@サッティクサルカル]

And some of them... Turned into very cool trains in the Tokyo area: shows picture of the Keihan Keishin Line which runs in the Kobe Otsu Area. Nevermind, that was just a sarcasm, really great video to see.

[@jonande]

A train every 10 minutes sounds like a lot to me 😄

[@peterhoz]

Whilst you point out that long lines aren't a goo idea, in this case it isn't generally used by the public as a long tram line. Most trips would be short, to te next (or 2nd next) town. However if you're going to as the 2nd next town, it'd be awfully inefficient to have to chge trams simply to avoid a tram doing such a long route. Whilst the rolling stock goes the entire length (except at each end of a shift), the passengersgenerally do not. And as it is basically along straight direct route (notwithstanding a couple of small detours in major centres), I thing this actually works in this case. And for the tourist who is also a rail buff, it makes for a nice da out to do thefull length esp if you include a train trip from say Antwerp! :)

[@Flor-um1zu]

NICE, talking about Belgium :)

[@smurftums]

A video on the Silesian interurban system in Poland would be interesting, as one of the last interurban networks.

[@regional4221]

Alicante’s TRAM L9, when it is electrifyed, will measure 90km

[@p1a2u12]

Well, it’s a little tricky because when you get to Benidorm you have to change to L1 but, yes, the railway is the same from Alacant to Dénia even though you have to change 😁😁

[@19frits74]

Can you do a video about the Metro in Charleroi, Belgium? Lots of interesting things happening there since they are opening a new line of which the tracks where there for a very long time.

[@davidbull7210]

There is a complete driver's eye view of this route on youtube. Very relaxing.

[@tristanmo5371]

I was using this tram line about 6/7 years ago. It really was great, I just don't have the best memorys of it because I fell down with my bike in front of dozens of people

[@arandonalfawolf896]

Nice tips at the trip to public transport

[@elroysterckx242]

The CAF trams are not double ended on the coast line. Those are the new ones for Antwerp and Gent you mean. (same tram tough)

[@SnapDash]

Nifty look at an interesting line - and an interesting transit modality.

[@RMTransit]

Thanks!

[@mdhazeldine]

Video suggestion: Trains that partially run on roads or through urban centres, like a tram. Examples: Many swiss mountain railways (e.g. Arosa Line), that one in India that goes through a market, the defunct Weymouth tramway (there's some great old footage on KZbin of railway men bumping parked cars out of the way to let the train through!).

[@ironlynx9512]

Small detail that only just came to my mind: The latest series of trams on them is a version of CAF Urbos, and until I saw more detailed images of the trams' heads, i.e. today, I was sure the headlights of these trams were the same as the Amsterdam 15G trams, a standard gauge CAF Urbos. But nope, the Kusttram has round lights in these fixture spaces, while the 15G has LED lines around the edges of the fixture spaces

[@Brian_rock_railfan]

great video

[@gerrieberrie6032]

The older generation BN LRV “trams” were actually never really designed as tram, but as light metro for the city of Charleroi. They were also sold to Manilla for their metro system. They were too fast, were originally very high to get into because they were designed for high (light) metro platforms (they were originally sold without the centre low-side carriage, that was added after by Bombardier). But they served a long time and they can still be seen in Manilla and Charleroi to this day.

[@darius274]

The L1 Tramline in Aarhus, Denmark is also around 70 kilometers long (According to their website) The system in general is in my opinion a great example on how to build up an entirely new tram system. It even runs along the waterside, just like the Belgian one does

[@barvdw]

But as it runs for most of the time on a former railway line (to Grenaa), I would probably consider the Aarhus Letbane more as a LRT or tram-train than a tram, even if the distinction between the two is blurry.

[@henrymulvey6599]

On the point that you make between 6:00 and 6:15, I'm not sure if I agree. I think some interurban tram lines might still make sense if (and only if) the cities the line connects are close enough together and the suburban densities are at least ok. I'm actually looking at the feasibility of building a 20 mile long interurban tram (LRT in US/FTA planning parlance, sorry) or BRT(-lite) on a corridor in Massachusetts for my graduate research.

[@IBeforeAExceptAfterK]

I'm just trying to imagine what it would be like for a larger country to have something like this. Like imagine if the U.S. had a rail line running from Mexico to Canada along the west coast.

[@JBS319]

well...there kinda is. you can go from Vancouver to Tijuana by train: Cascades from Vancouver to Seattle, Coast Starlight from Seattle to Los Angeles, Surfliner from Los Angeles to San Diego, and the Blue Line from San Diego to San Ysidro - Tijuana.

[@IBeforeAExceptAfterK]

D'oh. I should've remembered that, I've seen maps of Amtrak's network before.

[@leonpaelinck]

It wouldn't be a tram but a bullet train

[@alrightletskeepgoing890]

Wow, I sure wasn't expecting this to be a line I've ridden personally!

[@juka_zg]

I caught those Zagreb trams at the very beginning of the video... Maybe something coming up about Zagreb? 😉

[@samtrak1204]

Thank you.

[@anthonyholroyd5359]

Back when trams were at their zenith in the UK alot of cities and towns networks linked up. It was possible, for example, to travel by tram from Liverpool 43 miles to Ashton-under-Lyne (East of Manchester) just by tram.

[@angeloavanti2538]

love that lijn. trams in belgium are fantastic anyway.

[@leonpaelinck]

Except in Gent, where they run in narrow roads, forcing you to bike between the rails