North–South Axis
The North–South Axis is a tram tunnel in Brussels, Belgium, which crosses the city center from North to South starting at the Brussels-North railway station to the Albert premetro station. The first section of this tunnel was first opened on October 4, 1976 between the Brussels-North railway station and the Lemonnier premetro station.[1] It was then expanded to Albert in 1993.[2]
To the north, the tunnel starts in the municipality of Schaerbeek near the crossroad between the Rue du Progrès/Vooruitgangstraat and the Rue Rogier/Rogierstraat. The first station in the tunnel is the Brussels-North railway station, which offers a connection with the railway station of the same name. The tunnel then crosses the municipality of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode up to the Rogier station where it connects with the Brussels Metro. It then enters the City of Brussels, and stops at De Brouckère (with again a connection with the metro), Bourse/Beurs, Anneessens and Lemonnier. At Lemonnier, a tunnel entry allows trams to enter or leave the tunnel at this point. The tunnel then crosses Saint-Gilles, stopping at the Brussels-South railway station, where it connects with the train and the metro, at Porte de Hal/Hallepoort where it connects with the metro, at Parvis de Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gillis Voorplein and at Horta. At the Brussels-South railway station, another entry allows trams to leave or enter the tunnel. The last stop is Albert, and is located at the border between the municipalities of Saint-Gilles and Forest. Two different tunnel entries are then located on the Avenue Albert/Albertlaan on the greater ring road and on Avenue Jupiter/Jupiterlaan.
It is currently used by tram routes 3, 4, 51 and 82 as well as evening routes 31, 32 and 33. Only routes 3, 4 and 33 use the full tunnel. Routes 31 and 32 use it between the North and South station, route 51 between Lemonnier and Albert and route 82 between Lemonnier and South station.