Coast Tram Derails in Ostend, No Injuries Reported
A Belgian Coast Tram (Kusttram) derailed in Ostend on Wednesday morning, July 1, temporarily halting service between Westende-Bad and Ostend Station. No passengers or bystanders were injured in the incident, which was caused by an unusual combination of a technical defect and an automatic switch signal, according to operator De Lijn.
Incident Details
The derailment occurred during the early morning of Wednesday, July 1, near the Thermae Palace and Wellington racecourse, at the border between Ostend and Middelkerke. According to VRT NWS, a tram with a technical defect was attempting to enter the Ostend depot when another approaching tram sent an automatic signal that changed the switch points, causing the first tram to derail.
“A tram with a technical defect wanted to enter the depot in Ostend,” said Jens Van Herp, spokesperson for De Lijn. “But just as the tram was crossing the switch, another tram came from the opposite direction. That tram sent an automatic signal to the switches, causing them to change. This caused the first tram to derail.”
No passengers were on board the tram at the time of the derailment. The tram and the switch infrastructure both sustained damage.
Passenger Account
Passenger Freyja Lauweryns, who had been on the tram before it was evacuated, told Focus WTV that the vehicle had been running irregularly prior to the incident. “It was running in jerks and at the Koninginnehalte stop it kept stalling,” she said. “The driver managed to get it going again and continued. Near Thermae Palace it stalled again.”
When the driver attempted to bring passengers safely back to the previous stop, the derailment occurred. An estimated 15 to 20 passengers were on board at the time. “We all remained fairly calm,” one passenger said. “There was a bit of a shock, but actually it wasn’t too bad.”
Response and Service Restoration
De Lijn immediately deployed replacement buses between Westende-Bad and Ostend Station in both directions. “There are currently no trams running between Ostend Station and Westende Bad, and we are deploying shuttle buses in both directions,” said Ine Pieters, another De Lijn spokesperson, as reported by HLN.
Police Ostend secured the scene and managed traffic. “Our people went there to ensure traffic could flow smoothly again and have since left the scene,” said Eline Goeminne, spokesperson for Police Ostend.
Technical teams from De Lijn re-railed the tram and towed it to the depot. Service resumed by late morning, though residual delays continued through the day as trams operated on a single track.
About the Coast Tram
The Kusttram is the world’s longest tram line at 67 kilometers (42 miles), running along the entire Belgian coast from De Panne near the French border to Knokke-Heist near the Dutch border. Operated by De Lijn, it has 67 stops and carries approximately 15 million passengers annually, according to Wikipedia. The current fleet consists of 48 CAF Urbos Zeelijner low-floor trams introduced in 2021-2022, replacing the older BN series 6000 trams.
The line first opened in 1885 as part of the extensive Belgian Vicinal tramway network that once covered the entire country. Today, it remains one of the few interurban tramways still in operation worldwide and serves as a vital transport artery for both coastal residents and the millions of tourists who visit Belgian seaside towns each summer.
Previous Incidents
This is not the first disruption on the coastal tram line in recent months. In November 2024, a tram derailed near the Ostend-Middelkerke border due to sand accumulation on the tracks, an incident that hospitalized the driver. More recently, in March 2026, an accident at the Nieuwpoort roundabout prompted De Lijn to investigate redesign options, and service was disrupted in Ostend in May 2026 due to an incident on Koningstraat. Weather-related disruptions from sand accumulation on coastal tracks are also a recurring challenge for the line.
Analysis and Implications
While no injuries occurred, Wednesday’s incident highlights several vulnerabilities in the coastal tram network. The interaction between automatic switch signaling systems and trams experiencing technical difficulties raises important safety considerations. As De Lijn’s technical service investigates the cause of the defect, questions remain about whether the automatic signaling system could be designed to better handle such edge cases.
The incident also underscores the fragility of the single-track coastal tram network, where a single disruption can halt service across a significant portion of the route. With the summer tourist season now in full swing, any prolonged service interruption would have significant consequences for both residents and visitors relying on the tram for coastal travel.
Looking Ahead
De Lijn’s technical teams are continuing their investigation into the precise cause of the technical defect and the circumstances of the derailment. The damaged tram and switch infrastructure will need to be repaired or replaced, though the operator has not yet disclosed the estimated cost or timeline. Passengers are advised to check for potential residual delays as normal service is fully restored along the affected section of the line.