Belgium has one of the oldest tram networks in the world. The first horse-drawn trams were introduced in the city in 1869, from the Porte de Namur to the Bois de la Cambre. The steam trams came to Belgium in 1877, however, they were failed because the engines were not capable of the hilly terrain and the tests were stopped. The first electric tram lines were laid in 1894, several private companies also built their own tram lines and the system became fully operational in the early 20th century.
Tram services were stopped during World War I, because of poor maintenance, and they were used for military purposes. The system restored in 1925 and for the World Exhibition of 1935, the famous ‘5000-series’ trams, the first in Brussels with two bogies, were put into service. From 1969, trams were adapted to run in the tunnel, using block signaling.
These stunning vintage photos show what the tram system of Belgium looked like in the 1960s and 1970s.