The Brussels premetro- and tramline 3 connects the stop Esplanade (on the borders of Neder-Over-Heembeek, Laken / Laeken and Strombeek-Bever) with the stop Churchill in Ukkel/Uccle. The line was temporarily disbanded, but returned in service on 30 June 2008. The colour of the line is lime-green.
Contents |
Esplanade - Meise - De Wand - De Wand - Araucaria - Braambosjes - Heembeek - Van Praet - Werkhuizenkaai/Quai des Usines - Mabru - Jules de Trooz - Masui - Thomas - Noordstation/Gare du Nord - Rogier - De Brouckère - Beurs/Bourse - Anneessens - Lemonnier - Zuidstation/Gare du Midi - Hallepoort/Porte de Hal - Sint-Gillis Voorplein/Parvis de Saint-Gilles - Horta - Albert - Berkendaal - Vanderkindere - Churchill.
The line is named 3, after the originally planned metro line 3, which was planned to service most of the current route of tram line 3.
This line was taken out of service for a while. It returned however on 30 June 2008 in a renewed form. Only the tram lines 3 and 4 remain in the North-South Axis that runs underneath the city centre during the daytime. In the evening, the North-South axis is serviced by tram lines 3, 31, 32 and 33. Both lines 3 and 4 have a 6-minutes schedule during rush hour and are serviced by the modern low-floor trams (T3000 and T4000).
On August 31, 2009 the lines 3 and 4 changed its northern terminuses. Where line 3 used to end at the North station, it now continues all the way to Esplanade, while the line 4 route was shortened to the North Station. Because of this, the very long route of tram 4 and the short route of tram 3 are now equalized.
Before the line was taken out of service for a while, the line was serviced by both the modern low-floor trams (the T3000 and T4000) as well as the older two-part PCC-trams (T7700 and T7800). After its return in 2008, the line is serviced by the modern low-floor trams only, mostly of the T4000 type.