De Lijn - Kusttram - Belgium - Simplon Postcards

This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the Belgian coastal tramway linking De Panne and Knokke via Oostende, Blankenberge and Zeebrugge. The system was not built as part of an overall plan, but evolved over many years from numerous separate concerns. These included separate 600mm gauge horse tramways at De Panne and Knokke.

In 1885, the organisation known as the Vicinal was formed by royal decree 'to control the construction and working of a national system of light railways, in association with communes and provinces.' Its full title was Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Vicinaux (SNCV) in French and Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen (NMVB) in Flemish, henceforth referred to as the Vicinal. Political federalism within Belgium from 1980 onwards saw the splitting of many national institutions into separate bodies for Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region. The SNCV/NMVB was duly broken up in 1991 into De Lijn (for Flanders) and TEC (for Wallonia). De Lijn inherited the tram systems in Ghent and Antwerp as well as the coastal tramway.

The first section of Vicinal line was the track between Oostende and Nieuwpoort, brought into service in 1885, although the original route was further inland than the current one. These lines were initially steam operated. The Nieuwpoort line was soon extended to Koksijde and Veurne, a total distance of 32km. The Vicinal leased operation of its lines to private companies, in this case Railways Economiques de Liege - Seraing et Extansions (RELSE). RELSE also ran a second connected line running north-east to Bredene, De Haan, Wenduine and Blankenberge. In 1890 and unconnected line was built linking Heist and Knokke on the coast with Brugge (Bruges).

The first electric line was built in 1897 from Oostende to Middelkirke (Bad) along the coast, extended to Westende in 1903. In 1905 a second line from Oostende to De Haan to the seaward side of the original steam line. The line through to Blankenberge was electrified in 1909, operated by the CF Electrique d'Ostende-Blankenberghe (OB), another subsidiary of RELSE. The OB was the extended further east to Zeebrugge and Heist, joining the existing Heist-Knokke-Brugge line, forming a linked series of tramways from Knokke to De Panne, although in many cases not using the current alignment. Blankenberge-Knokke was electrified in 1911-12 although the main through route from Oostende was still steam worked.

Whilst the coastal Vicinal networks were expanding, urban systems were also built in Oostende and, to a lesser extent, Knokke. Both systems closed in the 1950s.

In addition to the Vicinal tramways, three short horse-drawn lines were built:- De Panne-Adinkerke, De Panne-St Idesbald and Koksijde Dorp to Koksijde Bad. Another horse tram line linked Knokke beach to the Brugge-Heist tramway. Most of these horse tramways became part of the Vicinal system and by 1914, only the De Panne-Adinkerke 600mm gauge section remained horse worked. Much of the tramway system was damaged during the First World War, but lines steadily reopened between 1919-1921. After the war, the De Panne-Adinkerke 600mm gauge line remained in use until 1932 using former military petrol tractors, steam locos and Fordson diesel tractors. It was then taken over by the Vicinal and converted to electrified metre gauge.

Kusttram Page 1: Rolling Stock
Kusttram Page 2: A Tram Ride from Knokke to Adinkerke - This Page!