The Coast Tram (Dutch: Kusttram) is a light railpublic transport service connecting the cities and towns along the Belgian (West Flanders) coast between De Panne, near the French border, and Knokke-Heist, near the Dutch border. At 67 kilometres (42 mi) in length, it is currently (as of July 2024) the world's longest metre gaugetram line in service,[1] and the second-longest light rail service in the world after the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system,[2] as well as one of the few interurban tramways in the world to remain in operation. The line is fully electrified at 600 VDC.
What is now the coast line started out as part of the extensive Belgian Vicinal tramway, a network of interurban trams that once covered the entire nation. The first section of the coast line between Ostend and Nieuwpoort was opened in 1885. This original route was further inland than the modern one and only short parts of the original section in Ostend and Nieuwpoort centres are still in operation. On its creation, the line was managed by the NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen), that operated an interurban tram system throughout Belgium. In 1991, the NMVB/SNCV was broken into two regional companies, one Walloon and the other Flemish, with the Flemish successor company, Vlaamse Vervoermaatschappij De Lijn taking responsibility for operation of the coastal tram.
The service makes 67[3] stops along the almost 67 km (42 mi) line, with a tram running every 10 min during the peak summer months (every 20 min in the winter months), and it is used by over 15[4] million passengers per year. In 2021–22, 48 new CAF Urbos "Zeelijner" trams entered into service to replace all the older BN series 6000 (similar to the Métro Léger de Charleroi LRV fleet and to a lesser extent, the LRTA 1000 class of the Manila Light Rail Transit Systemyellow line, retired on 23 September 2023) and HermeLijn trams (the latter mainly loaned from Ghent and Antwerp in the summer from 2006–2022). They are completely low-floor and longer than the old trams.
All trams, except the loaner HermeLijn Ghent/Antwerp trams, are unidirectional and have to be turned on a loop in order to reverse direction.
Notable features are the sea-view between Ostend and Middelkerke, the tracks through the dunes at De Haan, the fast speed, the two alternative routes that exist around both ends of the Leopoldkanaal locks, and the similar single track diversion around the inland end of the Boudewijnkanaal lock.
The maximum speed is officially 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph). This speed is common between the villages.
