Overview of investment
Liège Tram is a public-private partnership, involving the design, financing, construction and maintenance of the first tramway line in Liège, Belgium. With a total length of 12 kilometres, Liège tram serves 21 stations and consists of 20 trams, a maintenance depot and 2 park-and-ride facilities. Liège Tram links to the key development centres of Liège.
Public benefits:
- Improving public transport
- Ensuring better air quality
- Making mobility and accessibility easier for everyone
- Sector
- Transportation
- Investment date
- January 2019
- Fund
- DIF V
- DIF ownership stake
- 80%
11.7 km
300
200,000
ESG impacts
The city of Liège is rapidly expanding and a majority of the population depend exclusively on private cars and public buses for transportation. However air pollution from traffic leads to more than 4,000 premature deaths per year in Belgium and the city of Liège aims to reset this trend and become a Zero Carbon Administrative City. Liège Tramway is key to accomplishing this goal and will provide an efficient and sustainable public transport solution for the city.
- Decarbonized urban transport is a central pillar in the City of Liège efforts to reach its 2050 climate-neutrality target, and Liège Trams is playing a leading role in this unprecedented offensive to boost clean mobility around the city.
- Overhead electrified contact lines will be the power source of the trams, and an estimated 50 hectares of Liège city will now be devoid of cars. This will lead to less carbon emissions, better air quality and a predicted surge in pedestrian volumes in Liège.
- The project, set to be fully operational in August 2023, will have a positive impact on the economic well-being of the city, and the quality of life for residents through cleaner air and healthier daily patterns.
- The project has also been praised for its wide engagement with local stakeholders, which included developing a 24-part video series to explain the construction of the tramline and offer safety tips.
Mobility for the vulnerable
The trams will feature dedicated spaces to ensure accessibility for the visually impaired or reduced mobility passengers.
“From extra footfall for local business to cleaner air for local families and taking
cars off the road, the new tramway is a transformative piece of infrastructure for the city of Liège. It will help make Liège one of the most attractive destinations in Belgium.”
Aymeric Piquet-Gauthier,
Senior Director, DIF Capital Partners
