Court orders Flanders to pay compensation over scrapped Hasselt-Maastricht tramline

A Dutch court has ruled that Flanders must pay compensation to the Dutch province of Limburg and the municipality of Maastricht because the proposed express tram between Hasselt and Maastricht has been abandoned. The Dutch parties are demanding 19.5 million euros.

In 2014, Limburg and Maastricht concluded an agreement with the Flemish Region and transport company De Lijn to construct a cross-border tram line between Hasselt and Maastricht. The journey time would be 40 minutes.

However, in 2022, the Flemish government decided to replace the tram with a tram bus. The Dutch demanded compensation for the costs they had incurred in realising a tram connection, and negotiations failed to produce a solution.

Dutch take legal action against Flanders over scrapped cross-border tram project

The Dutch city of Maastricht and province of Limburg are taking Flanders to court, Het Belang van Limburg reports. The Dutch are demanding...

belganewsagency.eu

The court in Maastricht has now issued an interim judgment in which it holds the Flemish Region liable for the damage suffered by the province of Limburg and the municipality of Maastricht.

The parties must decide whether to appeal before 18 February. Only then can proceedings continue and the discussion about the extent of the damage begin. 

Flemish Mobility minister Annick De Ridder has not yet responded to the ruling.

^{#FlandersNewsService |© PHOTO LAURE BOYER / HANS LUCAS}

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