A Dutch court has ruled that the Flemish Region must pay compensation to the Dutch province of Limburg and the municipality of Maastricht because the express tram line between Hasselt in Belgium and Maastricht in the Netherlands will not be built.

The Dutch are demanding 19,6 million euros, but the amount of compensation has not yet been determined.

First yes, then no

In 2014, the Dutch province of Limburg and the municipality of Maastricht signed an agreement with the Flemish Region and the transport company De Lijn to construct a cross-border tram line between the two provincial capitals, Hasselt and Maastricht. The journey time over the 33 km would be a maximum of 40 minutes.

In 2022, however, the Flemish government decided to withdraw from the project due to the high costs —more than 300 million —and to replace the express tram with a tram bus. The angry Dutch then demanded compensation from Flanders for the expenses they incurred in realizing a tram connection, more than 22,6 million euros.

Appeals can still be lodged until February

Of that claimed amount, 3 million euros have been repaid to date, money that Flanders had previously received from the Netherlands as compensation because the Wilhelmina Bridge in Maastricht proved not to be strong enough to support the tram, and the terminus was therefore moved from Maastricht station to Mosae Forum.

Flanders refused to pay the remaining 19,6 million euros, and because negotiations failed to produce a solution, the Dutch authorities took the matter to court.

The court in Maastricht has now issued an interim ruling holding the Flemish Region liable for the damage suffered by the province of Limburg and the municipality of Maastricht.

The parties must now decide whether to appeal the ruling, as the judge found that De Lijn is not liable. This should be clear by February 18. Only then can the proceedings continue and the discussion about the extent of the damage begin.

But no matter how you look at it, the entire express tram project has turned out to be a debacle for Flanders, precisely because it is a missed opportunity for better infrastructure (the bus takes longer) and economic/regional cooperation, and because it once again draws criticism of Flemish mobility policy.