Light subway of Charleroi

History

Its construction started at the end of the years 1960. At that time, one envisaged to equip the town of a grid system jointly powerful consisted vehicles of the type Tramway but circulating in integral exclusive right of way (tunnel, viaduct and exclusive right of way). The intial project comprised an urban loop, girdling the center town of Charleroi, on which were to come to be grafted eight antennas serving the suburbs of the city. During the launching of the project, the completion of work was planned for 1992 and the whole was to cost 20 billion Bef (of 1960).

Infrastructure

Central boxing ring

Length: 4,3 km - Stations: 8/9 Planned like a central boxing ring with 8 stations towards the 8 lines of the agglomeration, but, for the moment only the ¾ of the boxing ring is built and exploited: southern station by the Art schools and Waterloo to the station Park. Between the station Park and Tirou, in the two directions, the infrastructures are already present. But, between the station the Southern Tirou and station only the railway bridge with the top of the Sambre is not built.

Gilly

Length: 4 km - Stations: 5

The carcass work heavy castings of the line are entirely finished, but only the 3 stations starting from Waterloo (from where the line connects itself to the urban loop) towards Gilly are exploited. De Gilly with Soleilmont only the carcass work heavy castings of the stations and line is completed.

Châtelet

Length: 6,8 km - Stations: 8

This line, so called Soleilmont, most of the line is finished, but is not exploited (at the beginning of 2007). Starting from the junction with the line until Gilly (between the stations Waterloo and Samaritaine) the ways are finished to the station Centenaire, one will thus not have a long time to start to exploit this line. But, further the way is crossed and the stations are not completely built.

Stations:

Couillet

Length: 4.3 km - Stations: 5

Work never started.

Stations:

Mount on Marchienne

Length: 3,2 km - Stations: 5 Work of this line was never started.

Stations:

Fountain-the Bishop

Length: 9,2 km - Stations: 11

This line is only MLC which is completely brought into service. Art schools station, where the line ramifies starting from the central boxing ring, until Pétria the line is exploited as a subway. Pétria Station with Fountain-L' Bishop until Anderlues the line is exploited in the form of a tram. Stations:

Gosselies (existing)

The antenna was to leave the station of Waterloo. An embryo was built but demolished after a few years. One still distinguishes the departure, made up by a service entrance in the middle of the highway of Brussels.

There exists however an old line of tram which starts from Gosselies around moitiée of the Roadway of Brussels to the station Piges. This line is only used for the transport of trams of the deposit of Jumet towards the network of used subway. It was entirely renovated in the years 1980. It is question of rehabilitating it in order to again exploit it in passenger traffic.

Stops:

Exploitation

On the network, the following lines are in exploitation:

Line 54: De Gilly via Waterloo and Art schools towards South v.v. .
Line 55: De Gilly via Waterloo towards Park v.v. .
Line 88: Of Park via Waterloo and Art schools towards Pétria, then like line of tram towards Monument with Anderlues v.v. .
Line 89: From South via Art schools goes towards Pétria, then like line of tram to the Monument with Anderlues v.v. .

These lines all are exploited by tce of Charleroi.

Projects

For the following years (2006 - 2007) 3 projects are planned:

Central boxing ring

The central boxing ring between the stations Park and South will be contruites like lines of trams. The trace underground and air original are abandoned. The underground tunnel will go up on the level of the Street of Montigny and will pass on the " Neuf" bridge; to the top of the Sambre and will be prolonged along the river to the Southern station. A bus stop and two stops of trams on the level of Tirou and Écluse will be built.

The total costs of work are of 20,5 million Euro

Gosselies

The tram line until Gosselies should be exploited soon. They also will create a formula which will make it possible to be stationed and to go in the center in the tram. In the future, the private clinic Bon Air with Lodelinsart should be built. After the Piges station it should exist approximately 15 stations.

Cost of the reactivation: 40 million Euro.

Soleilmont

The line towards Soleilmont is currently exploited until Gilly. But, the carcass work heavy castings of the stations Marabout and Sart-Culpart are already finished. A new station which will be used as terminus called Soleilmont will be built and all exploited. Also, a formula will exist in Soleilmont which will make it possible to station its car in a paying parking lot and of being able to go by subway until the center.

The labor costs carpark included/understood are of 16 million Euro Other projects

Een aftakking naar Brussels South Charleroi Airport - Charleroi, is mogelijk via het deposit in Jumet. Hoewel deze aftakking een logische keuze lijkt sinds of opleving van het vliegveld sinds of komst van Ryanair, is deze tak niet in huidige plannen opgenomen.

Of bestaande metrolijn richting Châtelineau zal niet in exploitatie genomen worden wegens you duur. -->

See too

External bonds

the light subway of Charleroi
Official site of tce
UrbanRail.net (in English)
. , in Exploration of the ramification given up towards Soleilmont of the MLC

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