Brussel is the main city of Belgium, situated in the middle of the country. Today there are aboutn 200.000 inhabitants, the same amount as around the year 1880. In the agglomeration of Brussel, consisting of 19 communities, there live today around 1,2 million inhabitants

Brussel was the first town in Belgium where a horse tram was opened. Already in 1869 a short line from the Naamsepoort to the Ter Kamerenbos was opened. Later on the Tramways Bruxellois (TB) opened five tram lines. Another company, the Société Générale de Tramways (CFE) opened some more lines all ending at the Beurs. The lines were laid on normal gauge (1435 mm).

In 1899 the TB started to change its lines to electric trams. Other lines remained in use as horse tram until the outbreak of the First World War.

Unknown to me.

Gent is a big city in the north western part of Belgium. It is the capitel of the province of Oost-Vlaanderen. Todays the city has about 260.000 inhabitants. Around 1880 there were onlys 130.000 inhabitants (although the area of the city was smaller than today).

In Gent the first horse tram was opened in 1874, a line from the station to the center of the city at the Korenmarkt. Later on some more horse trams were opend. The lines were laid with track width 1000 mm, like many other tramways in Belgium. The lines were operated by the "Tramways de ville de Gand", a local company.

On 1897-08-13 the concession for the tram lines was given to two companies linked to the RELSE (company in Liège). They created a new company, the ETG (Elektrische Tramwegen van Gent). That company started replacing the horse tram lines to electric trams (accu trams).

To read more about the electric trams in Gent, visit my page about the city tram in Gent.

On the lines of the Gent horse tramway there were 43 carriages of which 14 open and 29 closed.

Tielt is a small city with (today) about 20.000 inhabitants. It is situated in the province of West-Vlaanderen, about 20 km west of the city of Gent.

There were no particular horse tram lines in the city. But as the connection from the railway station to the Market in Tielt was not suitable to be run with steam traction (a length of only 1,2 km), a separate service with horse trams was started over the lines of the NMVB. It can be seen as a prolongation of the steam tram line from Aalter to Tielt. By means of the horse tram, it could be avoided to let the steam trams in the center of the city of Tielt.

The line was opened on 1999-07-17. It was stopped on 1914-09-13 with the outbreak of World War II. It was operated by the RELSE, the company that also operated other lines of the NMVB around Tielt.

There seem to have been two horse tram coaches special for the small line in Tielt.

Knokke is a small city with (today) about 14.000 inhabitants (only 1500 inhabitants around the year 1900). It is situated in the province of West-Vlaanderen, at the most nort eastern side of the coastal line of Belgium, just near the border with the Netherlands.

From 1904-04-02 on there was a horse tram line from theat the M.Lippensplein (near the railway station) to the Van Bunnenplein (at the beach). It was in exploitation by the "Société anonyme du Tramway de Knocke sur Mer". The owner of this company was Louis Herreboudt, manager of a hotel in Knokke. The length of the line was 1,7 km.

In 1890 the steam tram reached Knokke, but that did not change the horse tram. But when in 1912 the line was elektrified, then the horse tram was replaced by an electric tram.

Unknown to me.

More information of the horse tramways in Knokke can be found:

• on the page of the Zwinstreek.eu.

Koksijde is a small village with (today) about 20.000 inhabitants (only 1200 inhabitants around the year 1900). It is situated in the province of West-Vlaanderen, at the most south western side of the coastal line of Belgium, halfway between Nieuwpoort and the French border.

From 1904-07-24 on there was a horse tram line from the village of Koksijde to the beach (Koksijde Bad). It was operated by the "Société anonyme de Coxyde-Plage". It was laid in a narrow gauge.

In 1909 the line was replaced by the steam tram line of the NMVB, which was electrified in 1929.

Unknown to me.

De Panne is a small city with (today) about 14.000 inhabitants (only 1500 inhabitants around the year 1900). It is situated in the province of West-Vlaanderen, at the most nort eastern side of the coastal line of Belgium, just near the border with the Netherlands.

From 1894 on there was an omnibus service (bus with horses riding over the road) from the railway station of Adinkerke to the beach. It was operated by a local hotel manager. On 1901-07-14 this service was replaced by a hors tram. The track witdh was only 600 mm (very narrow). During the First World War it was temporarily replaced by a service with a tractor with a petrol motor (hay for the horses was too expensive, horses were required by the army). In 1918 the horses came back, but in 1920 a steam locomtive was acquired and the horse tram ended. The line remained in operation by steam tram and a tractor until 1932, from which the NMVB operated the linea with electric trams.

Unknown to me.

More information of the horse tramways in De Panne can be found:

• on the page of the debliedemaker.wordpress.com.

Charleroi is a conglomeration of several towns and villages where iron processing industry was evident present. Mining industries and steel processing had great influence on the city.

In 1881 a sall horse tram opened connecting the railway station Charleroi-Sud via Place Verte to the Rue de Marcinelle. It was laid with track width 1435 mm. The line did not last long. Already two years later the line was closed.

But there was another company, the "Soc.des Chemins de fer Vicinaux Belges" (not to be confused with the great NMVB company). This company opened end september 1881 a line from Charleroi-Sud via the city center, via Porte de Waterloo to Gilly Quatre-Bras. This line also was laid with track width 1435 mm. The part from the Sud railway station to Waterloo was running with small steam locs. In Waterloo the steam locs were discoupled and a horst came before the tram for the second part of the ride to Gilly.

The same company opened a second line on 19 March 1882 from the railway station to Montignies. This line was run with steam traction.

Around 1900 the great NMVB, which had lines in the west of the city, made the conversion to electric trams. The city of Charleroi wanted also to change the steam and horse powered lines in the east of the city to electric running. A new consession was given to the RELSE (s.a. des Railways Economiques de Liège-Seraing et Extensions), the company that ran tram lines in the surroundings of the city of Liège. A sub-company was created the TEPCE (s.a. des Tramways Electriques du Pays de Charleroi et Extensions). The two existing lines were transferred from normal gauge to meter gauge and electrified. The line to Gilly was opened on 4 july 1904, and that was the end of the horse tram in Charleroi.

For the two lines, partly in exploitation with steam traction, partly with horse traction, there were several small steam tram locomotives, built by Carels in Gent. It were locs with a condensor to minimise the inconvenience of the escaping steam on the streets.

There were small carriages on two axles with closed cabin and open balconies on the end.

For these electric lines, see the page about the electric trams of Charleroi

Liège is a large city village with (today) almost 200.000 inhabitants. This number of inhabitants was also valid in the years around 1900. Liège is the main capital of the province with the same name and is situated in the eastern part of Belgium.

On 1872-01-20 an English company "Liège Tramways Company Ltd" opened a horse tramway in Liège. It was with rails in normal gauge (1435 mm) running from the station Gare de Guillemins to the Place Saint-Lambert. Later on it was extended to Coronmeuse and Herstal. In 1875 the lines were taken over by a Belgian company, the "Tramways Liégois" (TL). In 1881 a second horse tram line was opened "Société Frédéric Nyst et Cie", on 1898-04-21 obtained by the tramway Est-Ouest Liégois (E-O). In 1882 a new line was opened from Cornillon and Haut-Pré.

On 1899-10-29 the lines of the E-O were replaced by electric trams. When the lines of the TL haven been replaced by electric trams is not known to me.

Unknown to me. One of the open horse tram carriages (number 132) is remained in the museum "Musée des Transports en commun de Wallonie" in Liège

Verviers is a small city with (around 1880) about 80.000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Vesdre. There was some wool processing industries in the city.

On 1 july 1884 two horse tram lines were opened in Verviers:

• One line from Renoupré (east of Verviers), via the city center to Ensival (west of Verviers).
• One line from the city center to Dison (north of Verviers).

On 24 september 1883 a company "Tramways Verviétois" was founded which asked for a consession to the city counsil. The both lines were opened in 1884.

Because of the hilly streets of Verviers the tram was replaced by an electric city tram in the year 1900 on 13 March. For these electric lines, see the page about the electric trams of Verviers.

In Verviers there were 26 closed carriages and 10 open carriages for the horse tram.

More information can be found:

• on the page of the Tramways Verviétois on Wikipedia.
• on the page of Verviers tram.