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Charleroi lies some 70 km south of Brussels in the French-speaking part of Belgium and has some 550,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area.

The Charleroi metro is a typical prémétro network, i.e. trams that use an underground section in the city centre and run on viaducts or separate right of way along streets in outer parts (similar to a German Stadtbahn in Stuttgart or Cologne). In the 1970's a large network (52 km with 69 stations) was planned to be finished by the mid-1990's. Starting from a loop in the centre of the city 8 branches should have covered the whole metropolitan area of Charleroi. But due to unknown problems construction was suspended and today's network remains unfinished and under-utilised.

A first section was taken into service in 1983 (Sud - Beaux-Arts - Dampremy). The total length of network is now 25 km, served by 4 tram routes (54, 55, 88, 89). There are 9 métro (underground) stations. The prémétro is operated by TEC, a company responsible for all public transport in the French-speaking part of Belgium.

24 May 1983: Sud - Beaux-Arts - Dampremy

 Projects

By 2007, the "MLC" will be finished, not like the one expected in 1970, but with a new line. The projects approved by the Waloon government are:

- Parc - Sud link in the city centre with the trams running on the surface, a new bridge across the river Sambre, and a viaduct between this bridge and Sud
- After Gilly, the two unexploited stations will be opened, a third one might be added
- The former tramway line to Dampremy, Lodelinsart, Jumet and Gosselies will be operated with tramways
- The unexploited lines to Chatelineau will remain closed.

- OPERATION

The Charleroi Métro operates from 5:00 to 20:00, lines 54 and 55 run alternately every 5 minutes on weekdays, on weekends every 7.5-10 minutes. Lines 88 and 89 run alternately every 10-15 minutes on weekdays, on weekends only every 30 minutes.

- FARES (2008, in Euro)

All tickets are valid for all public transport within the city zones 1-2 (buses, prémétro and local SNCB railways):

Single - 1.30
8 Trips - 7.80

Weekly Pass - 10.60

TEC - Charleroi

Métro léger de Charleroi at Wikipedia.fr

Once-planned Prémétro Network (gif, 64K)

All pictures courtesy of © François Dierick