Riding the Kersttram or Christmas Tram in Antwerp

As they did in 2022, heritage tramway organisations in Flanders scheduled tram rides in the Advent to Christmas 2023. In Antwerp, this is done by VlaTAM, the Vlaamse Tram- en Autobusmuseum or Flemish Tram And Bus Museum. It’s called Kersttram or Christmas Tram.

December is a busy month in Belgium. People go Christmas shopping and go to Christmas Markets. Antwerp, being Belgium’s second largest city with 500,000 residents, is a big attraction pole for day tourists from Belgium and the Netherlands. Antwerp offers many activities: culture, museums, performances, shopping and in December Winter in Antwerp.

During two weekends VlaTAM deployed two old trams to ride in the afternoon. Motorcar 7386 and motorcar 9994.

Motorcar 7386: Les Vicinaux Anversois

The Compagnie Générale des Tramways d’Anvers (CGTA) built twenty railcars for Les Vicinaux Anversois, the operator of the electric neighborhood tram lines to Brasschaat and Schoten. Hence the name. in ‘vicinaux‘ you can read vicinity. So ‘vicinaux anversois‘ could be translated as Antwerpian outskirts.

The carriages were numbered 1 to 20. The carriages had a carmine red coat with decorative lines and inscriptions in yellow.

In 1920 the CGTA sold ten to the Buurtspoorwegen (Vicinity Railways). The other ten stayed with the Antwerp tram company. In 1928, one more carriage went to the NMVB or Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen or Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Vicinaux (SNCV). Staff members called them the VAs, referring to the Vicinaux Anversois.

Over the years, the cars have undergone numerous renovations. Following the 1930 World Exhibition in Antwerp, they were converted into carriages with standing room only, so that around a hundred travelers could be transported. Later they ended up on line 1, from Noorderplaats to Zuidstation.

Motorcar 7386 was built in 1908 and was used until 1976!

Motorcar 9994: The Poldertram

Motorcar 9994, nicknamed ‘The Poldertram‘, is a local railway tram of the ‘Standard’ type. In the period between the two World Wars, as many as 400 carriages of this type were built for the entire Belgian network.

The 9994 itself entered service in 1931 as a trailer. As early as 1932, it was converted into a railcar and drove on almost all electric neighborhood tram lines to and from Antwerp. He easily reached speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour. Between 1955 and 1961 the 9994 mainly traveled to the polder villages, hence its nickname. From 1966 it was also used as a work truck on the coast.

The railcar retired from service in 1978. After having languished in the open air for more than twenty years, the carriage was restored to running condition in the second half of the 2000s by the non-profit organization Poldertram.

The ride

The itinerary started at Koningin Astridplein or Queen Astrid Square, adjacent to Antwerp-Central Railway Station. It then went to Franklin Rooseveltplaats (Franklin Roosevelt Square), to Operaplein (Opera Square), along the Frankrijklei (France Avenue), turning right after the National Bank of Belgium onto Mechelsesteenweg (Mechlin Causeway) to pass Leopoldplaats (Leopold Square), onto Sint-Jorispoort (St. George’s Gate), Lange Gasthuisstraat (Long Hospice Street), Huidevetterstraat (Tanners Street), Meirbrug (Meir Bridge), Schoenmarkt (Shoe Market) and terminating at the Groenplaats (Green Square) loop.

The ride takes about half n hour. Staff make efforts to make it all christmassy. But really, you do it for the old trams and some sightseeing.

A ride is 5 euros, but you can have two rides for that price so you can ride both railcars. It’s a really good deal.

So?

There aren’t many heritage rail activities in Belgium, so the Christmas Tram presents a nice opportunity.

Ghent

In Ghent, Erfgoed Tram en Bus Gent en Oost-Vlaanderen (Heritage Tram and Bus Ghent and East Flanders) or ETG joins in the fun.

It will also run the coming days. Click here for details.

De Panne & Koksijde

At the coast, TTO Noordzee vzw also deploys Christmas trams in De Panne (La Panne) and Koksijde (Coxyde) in West Flanders. Actually, just the coming days. Click here to know more.