Client
Flemish Public Transport Operator De Lijn, municipality of Antwerp and the Flemish Road and Traffic Agency
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
Antwerp tramline - Brabo 2
As part of Antwerp's ambitious Masterplan 2020, the Brabo 2 project extended and modernised the city's tram network, redeveloped major public squares and created new underground parking - all while keeping one of Belgium's busiest cities moving. The result is a transformed city centre with cleaner, faster and more accessible public transport connections for hundreds of thousands of daily commuters.
Financial Close
November 2015
Construction Period
2016 - 2020
Concession Period
25 years
Handback
30th June 2044
Client
Flemish Public Transport Operator De Lijn, municipality of Antwerp and the Flemish Road and Traffic Agency
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
Sponsor/Investor
Invesis and Fabricom
Consortium
TramContractors
Engineering Procurement and Construction
BAM Contractors/BAM Rail bv - BAM Track, Fabricom
Operations and Maintenance
BAM Maintenance and Fabricom
Capital Value
€211m
Supporting three public authorities to deliver a landmark transformation of Antwerp's city centre
By 2010, Antwerp's transport infrastructure was struggling to keep pace with the demands of a growing, dynamic city. The Flemish Government and City of Antwerp responded with Masterplan 2020 - an ambitious programme to upgrade tram and road infrastructure across the city. Brabo 2 was the third and most complex DBFM project within the masterplan.
In 2015, the TramContractors consortium - comprising Invesis (80.1%) and Fabricom (19.9%) - was awarded three separate contracts by three different public authorities: a DBFM contract with De Lijn for tram infrastructure, a DBFM contract with the Flemish State for the surrounding road network, and a DBF contract with the City of Antwerp for a tunnel, public spaces and underground parking.
To manage the complexity of three concurrent concession agreements, TramContractors introduced a cross-default mechanism allowing all three to be financed as a single project - simplifying the structure and ensuring bankability. Construction completed in December 2020.
Innovating to manage complexity across three contracts, three authorities and a city that never stops
Brabo 2 presented a level of complexity rarely seen in urban PPP - three separate contracts, three client authorities and a live city environment. TramContractors responded by introducing a cross-default mechanism that allowed all three concession agreements to be financed as a single project, simplifying the financial structure and improving bankability - an approach the authority subsequently adopted.
Construction was completed ahead of the competition's proposed timeline, supported by extensive use of 3D scanning and digital design coordination across the project's many concurrent workstreams. During construction of the Noorderlijn, 16th-century city walls were uncovered - a remarkable discovery that was shared with the community through a public exhibition of the archaeological finds.
Improving urban mobility, greening city streets and connecting Antwerp's communities to better public transport
- Tram services now run directly from Park & Ride facilities into the city centre, reducing car traffic on key arterial routes and improving air quality across Antwerp.
- Four species of native trees - sycamore, alder, sessile oak and common lime - were planted at regular intervals along the tram routes, creating green corridors through the urban landscape.
- A comprehensive noise reduction programme was developed using embedded rail structures, elastic mats and floating slabs, with custom measures tailored to each section of track to protect residents and businesses.
- An extensive community engagement programme during construction included outdoor exhibitions at 10 locations, newsletters for each project area, direct mailing to 25,000 local businesses and regular public site visits.
- Safety visits were organised for local school children throughout the construction phase.
- The Invesis Sustainability Fund is supporting research into using harvested rainwater for tram rail cleaning and exploring options for more sustainable rail materials.
