Tram route 8 (Antwerp)

Previous route

Tram route 8 between 2009 and 2012

Originally tram route 8 ran between the Groenplaats in the city centre and the Eksterlaar terminus in Berchem. On December 31, 1978, the part of route 3 between the Groenplaats and Lambermontplaats to the south was transferred to route 8. The tram 8 continued to run on the Eksterlaar-Lambermontplaats trajectory in the following decades, with an exception in 1988, when, due to construction works in the Lange Leemstraat, the route had to use the premetro tunnel to the Groenplaats for several months.

On May 3, 2007, the tram 8 was extended from the Lambermontplaats to the nearby Bolivarplaats, where the new Antwerp courthouse had recently been built.^[2] On May 15, 2009, the line was once again extended, this time from the Eksterlaar terminus to the Herentalsebaan, where it joined the trajectory of route 24 to the Silsburg terminus at the Deurne-Wommelgem border.^[3] On May 2, 2012, the line was shortened from the Bolivarplaats to the Groenplaats, due to construction works in the Nationalestraat.^[4]

On September 1, 2012, tram route 8 was suspended, and its trajectory was added to tram route 4 (formerly Hoboken-Sint-Pietersvliet). However, due to ongoing construction works at the Nationalestraat, it was temporarily impossible to join the trajectory with the original tram route 4, which was also shortened to the Marnixplaats. On February 9, 2013, the two parts of route 4 were connected to each other via a deviation over the Leien. On March 30, 2013, after the works in the Nationalestraat had finished, tram route 4 was able to start service on its definitive trajectory Hoboken-Silsburg.^[5] The colors of route 8, black text on an orange background, were transferred with the closing of the route on September 1 to a new tram route 9, running between the Eksterlaar terminus and Linkeroever P+R using the premetro network.^[6]

Present day route

Works on the eastern premetro tunnel under the Carnotstraat and Turnhoutsebaan started in 1977, and were planned to open a few years later. After 5 years of tunneling and construction works, structural works on the tunnel and stations were largely finished, however, due to austerity measures imposed in the 1980s by the successive Martens governments, and the transfer of authority to the Flemish government after state reforms, construction on the premetro network was put to a halt. Although the extension of the central premetro axis to Linkeroever, and the construction of the northern premetro axis to the Sportpaleis were finished in the 1990s, no initiative was taken to open the eastern premetro axis until recently.

The creation of route 8 and the opening of the eastern "Reuzenpijp" premetro tunnel were a part of the 2020 mobility masterplan as the LIVAN project.^[7]

Originally, also another trajectory was considered in which the new route 8 would follow the trajectory of route 24 all the way to the Silsburg terminus, and would then turn north to the Wommelgem P+R either parallel to, or over the R11 road, in the first case going under the E313/E34 highway in a newly constructed tunnel. However, this plan was not adopted, and finally, it was decided to separate route 8 from route 24 near the AZ Monica hospital, after which route 8 would go north over the Ruggeveldlaan, passing under the E313/E34 using the already present bridge over the Ruggveldlaan. The route then turns east and uses a newly built "tram antenna" toward its destination.^[8] Also included in the LIVAN project was the construction of further tram tracks at the Ruggeveldlaan. These tracks, connecting the Herentalsebaan and Turnhoutsebaan, are currently only used by route 10 on its temporary detour through Deurne-Zuid. However, plans exist for the creation of a new north-south tram route making use of the tracks, replacing bus route 19.^[9][10]

The present day route 8 was officially opened on April 18, 2015 between the Astrid premetro station and the newly built Wommelgem P+R.^[11]