Photorail 5 - U-Bahn Charleroi M1/M2

Cover 2

PLAN OF THE CHARLEROI METRO IN 2025

Originally, the M2 was to be limited to Pétria. It is now identical to the M1, but uses the central loop in the opposite direction.

The M3 line climbs (literally and figuratively) from Charleroi to the heights of Gosselies using the Brussels carriageway, which is essentially straight. But shortly after the Jumet depot, the trams continue on two different routes, single-tracking in streets too narrow for double-tracking.

Projects abandoned and replaced by the M3 (surface tram, in orange)

Projects abandoned and to be replaced by a BRT (Bus à Haut Niveau de Service) service

Page 1

The plan below shows the maximum extension of the vicinal network in the Charleroi region. In the north-west quarter, there is a very high density of railway lines, which were in operation until the early 1980s. These include the northern line to Gosselies (still at the same location) and the western line to Anderlues, the terminal section of which has remained unchanged. For the sake of completeness, we should add the ASVi tourist line between Lobbes and Thuin, which operates on Sundays.

Compared with the initial project (see plan above), the metro is now 65% complete: 4 heavy metro lines and the central loop have been completed (M1/2, M4 and the future M5 line), while the existing tramway lines to Gosselies have been upgraded to create the M3 line.

The two lines to the south of Charleroi and their planned junctions will probably be operated by HQPT buses. As for the north-west line to Jumet, Roux and Courcelles, the project has been definitively abandoned. This is a pity, as the communities it runs through are densely populated. From 1986 to 1988, the double-track line 41 from Charleroi to Jumet Gohyssart, one of the last conventional vicinal lines, was operated by BN quarter-hourly trains. But the project was short-lived. Today, we can only regret it...

INITIAL PROJECT FOR THE LIGHT RAIL NETWORK IN 1976

MAXIMUM EXTENSION OF THE SNCV RAIL NETWORK

THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CHARLEROI METRO IN TIMETABLES AND PICTURES

Page 6 : Extract from the timetable dated 29 May 1983 (facsimile on sale on the website www.photorail-collection.com): Route 62/63 Charleroi-Gosselies and extensions (corresponding to the current route M3); 4 trams/hour. Line 89 Charleroi-Anderlues (corresponding to the current M1/2): 4 trams/hour. This was a partial reinforcement of the 90 Charleroi-Anderlues-Binche-La Louvière, bringing the service to one tram every 10 minutes at peak times.

Page 7 : Metro connections to the tram network in the early years.

1: The 6143 provides a 44 service (very rare) in the form of a Charleroi-Lodelinsart-Jumet Gohyssart-Charleroi loop. It was a hybrid merger of lines 65 and 41. Photo Paul Haywood, +/- 1979.

2: During a special amateur trip in 2000, ASVi's S 9974 locomotive from Jumet is about to enter the metro area and climb the ramp to Piges station. Note that it has no moustache and therefore no steps for high platforms. In the background, the red tram is the only surviving vicinal PCC. It also belongs to the ASVi collection in Thuin. Photo DL.

3: BN 6129 provides service 89 Charleroi - Anderlues on 20/06/1992 and leaves the metro to reach Marchienne-au-Pont via the double track installed in the middle of the route de Mons. Photo CS.

4: On 30/08/87, BN 6149 climbs the Marchienne-au-Pont ramp to join the metro's exclusive right-of-way to Morgnies, Anderlues and La Louvière. Photo CS.

PAGES

14.   Attention, the doors are closing! Metro train 7436, chartered by a group of Dutch enthusiasts for a special trip, is ready to set off towards Anderlues from the central platform of Waterloo station. The platform to its left is no longer in use. Having received permission to walk on the tracks, I try an unusual angle. On the right, 7430 in its new full yellow livery and 7436 await departure. Photos DL, 20/11/2021.

15.    

16.   Travelling clockwise along the metro loop, Janson (above) is the first station on our journey to Anderlues. Promised to open in 1985, it didn't actually open until 9 years later. It is beautifully decorated with comic strip scenes (photo right), reminding us that Charleroi is the capital of Belgian comic strips. Photos DL, 03/01/2025.

17.    

18.   Here we are at Parc station: the train consists of tram SM 9148 (Type S Métro, identifiable by its moustaches) and its trailer 9309 belonging to the ASVi for a special trip organised in 2023. From 1996 to 2012, Parc was the terminus of the line, with trams having to turn back. Photo DL, 19/03/2023. On the right, tram 7423 emerges from the long tunnel leading to Parc and approaches Tirou station, above ground. Photo EC, 15/05/2019.

19.    

20.   Above, tram 7426 stops at Tirou on a beautiful day in April 2020. The platform on the right is also used by buses, so connections are easy! Photo DL, 05/04/2020. On the right, the BN 7413 crosses the bridge over the Sambre, reserved for the metro and inaugurated in 2012. This made it possible - at last! - to complete the central loop and organise coherent services. Photo EC, 22/07/2020.

21.    

22.   TEC Charleroi has a very colourful and varied fleet of breakdown and maintenance vehicles, including the SJ 9175 (SJ stands for Type S Jumet). Most of these vehicles are parked at the Anderlues depot, which is practically at the terminus of the M1/2 line. Anecdote: according to the plans of the 80s, the metro line was to emerge from the building pierced with small holes, visible just above the rear-view mirror. Photo JDB, 26/04/2023. On the right, the 7450 passes Charleroi Sud station, renamed Charleroi Central in 2023, in the late afternoon. Photo DL, 08/09/2024.

23.    

24.   Two views taken in front of the esplanade of Charleroi Central station, the name given by the SNCB to Charleroi-Sud, while the TEC calls its metro station Gare Centrale. On the left, the BN 7425, after its modernisation at the Alstom workshops in Fleurus. Photo DL, 26/10/2024. On the right, the 7403 on a morning in June 2024, when the sun is still shining on the station's main façade. After 9am, it's too late! Photo Gwenaël Piérart, 01/05/2024.

25.    

26.   These two views were taken in January, but are impossible to reproduce when the sun goes down late, as all metro services are unfortunately replaced by buses from 8pm! Above: the renovated platform at Gare Centrale (formerly Charleroi-Sud) station. Opposite page: the streaks of light on the far right show the movement of a BN train leaving the platform at Charleroi Central and heading towards Villette. Photos DL, 3/01/2025.

27.    

28.   Train 7410 crosses the viaduct at Villette station, inaugurated in 1974. At the time, it was only used by yellow SM trams with running boards (and moustaches) serving the Jumet and Gosselies lines. Photo DL, 26/10/2024. On the right-hand page, 7409 on a special journey. On the right is the TEC Charleroi administrative centre, soon to be demolished. Photo JDB, 31/07/2022.

29.    

30.   Train 7417, which has just left Villette station, is photographed from the former TEC depot car park. Photo YLH, 27/03/2012. In the photo opposite, tram 7442, which has just left Ouest station, can turn either to the right to reach Beaux-arts station, renamed Palais, or to the left to reach Piges station. Charleroi-Ouest SNCB station is at the far end of the image, after the road viaduct. Photo JDB, 31/07/2022.

31.    

32.   Two trains pass each other between Ouest (250 m to the left) and Palais (ex-Beaux-Arts, about 130 m to the right) stations. In the background on the left, just before the slag heap: Piges station. Photo DL, 05/04/2020. Right: Trams reach Palais station by running alongside the old STIC 310+12 tram. To photograph ASVi's Type S 9148, I obtained permission to disembark on this small platform, which is off-limits to the public. The track visible on the far left is used to take an underground loop to turn back and head back towards West or Piges stations. Photo DL, 25/03/2017.

33.    

34.   A bird's-eye view of the central platform at Palais, taken from the lift: trains stopping on the left continue towards Waterloo station; those stopping on the right head either towards Ouest and Charleroi Central, or towards Piges (and Anderlues or Gosselies). Photo DL, 03/01/2025. The tram in the photo on the right is parked at platform 3, now unused and inaccessible to the public... except on special journeys. Photo DL, 20/11/2021.

35.    

36.   Pictured left, the ASVi 9148+9309 trainset ready for departure on a special journey. Photo DL, 13/10/2018. In the one opposite, tram 7408 is just a few metres from Piges (opened in 1980 just like Ouest).  To go up towards Gosselies, it has to turn right just after the station. Photo DL, 04/01/2025.

37.    

38.   Photo taken at the foot of the staircase at Piges station, which crosses the Chaussée de Bruxelles on a viaduct. From here, trams can either turn right to go up towards Jumet and Gosselies, or go into a tunnel bored under the slag heap to reach Marchienne-au-Pont and Anderlues. Photo DL, 04/01/2025. The photo opposite shows the 7401 coming out of this tunnel and stopping at Dampremy station, opened in 1983. Photo CS, 17/05/2023.

39.    

40.   After leaving Dampremy station, the metro crosses two major roads on a section opened in 1983. These remarkable shots were taken at the top of the Piges slag heap, which requires effort, strong legs and sturdy shoes to climb. Thanks to the two photographers: above, photo Raymond Kiès, 04/05/2019; right page, photo JDB, 12/10/2018.

41.    

42.   Two views illustrating the steelmaking past of Charleroi and Marchienne. On the left, the 7442 has just passed under the metal structures used by the many factories that once existed in the region. Photo JDB, 31/07/2022. Photographed a few metres further on, the tram on the right has a colourful livery designed to announce to the public the reorganisation of the metro network into 4 lines. Photo JDB, 01/04/2017.

43.    

44.   The 7409 crosses an incongruous obstacle, to say the least (photo JDB, 31/07/2022), which is better seen opposite on the right (photo DL, 31/10/2019). When the metro line was built in the 1980s, a railway bridge overhung the tram tracks and carriageway, resting on the abutment visible on the right. As it was impossible to move the bridge back, the engineers laid the tracks together. The viaduct and the industrial line have disappeared, but the tram still has to cross this curious narrowing.

45.    

46.   Above, along the Chaussée de Mons, you can see the interior of 7413, a classic BN that is still in its original state. Photo DL - 03/01/2025. Compare this view with that of a renovated locomotive on page 65. To take the photo opposite, I stood on the other side of the canalized Sambre. The tram overhangs the Chaussée de Mons on a viaduct and leaves at Providence station, named after the metalworks opposite, which closed in 2012. Photo DL, 28/10/2024.

47.    

48.   These two photos were taken at the same location, during two special journeys. It is strictly forbidden to do the same without explicit authorisation from a TEC inspector! The locomotives have just left Providence station: you can still see the industrial infrastructure that is so characteristic of the Black Country. The 9175 is the only SJ still capable of carrying a few passengers. Photo JDB, 31/07/2022. On the right, 7436. Photo DL, 20/11/2021.

49.    

50.   Above, a very fine view of tram 7409, taken by Julian De Bondt. To link the Cartier underground station (Marchienne) to the Providence station, the tram has to cross the viaduct over the Sambre. Right: Some 300 m further on, the 7442 runs alongside a strange structure that was to have become an underground station serving the "future station" of Marchienne-au-Pont. But this project fell through: the SNCB station is still located 500 m to the left. Photos JDB, 31/07/2022.

51.    

52.   On the left, an unidentified locomotive emerges from the Marchienne Cartier tunnel to cross the Eau d'Heure and head back towards Charleroi. On the right, BN 7448 at Cartier station, which has served the centre of Marchienne-au-Pont since 1992.  DL photos, 28/10/2024.

53.    

54.   This is the Marchienne-au-Pont dock, a rather pleasant spot for a very run-down commune. During a photo excursion by train and bike, I met a couple of day-trippers who lived about ten kilometres away. They were enjoying a sunny Saturday afternoon picnic and fishing. Everyone chooses their own way to relax. Photos DL, 25/09/2021.

55.    

56.   Above, the 7403 emerges from the Cartier tunnel onto the viaduct leading to Moulin station. The steeple of the Marchienne church can be seen in the background. Photo JDB, 26/07/2021. The photo on the right shows, in almost the same place, the driver's cab of a classic BN. In the photo on page 95, compare the changes made after the renovation. Photo DL, 26/10/2024.

57.    

58.   Photorail publications

59.    

60.   In fine weather, the Marchienne dock is a surprisingly bucolic place. In the background, the TEC metro train has just left Moulin station for Cartier. This station is the terminus of many bus lines that connect with the metro. Photo DL, 25/09/2021.

61.    

62.   Under a January sky, as the sun sets early, what do I see? A shopping trolley from the supermarket just beyond the viaduct. It's a funny scene. At the foot of Moulin station, two buses can be seen at the terminus. On the right, a tram has just left the viaduct and is overlooking the rue de Mons under a very dark sky. Photos DL, 03/01/2025.

63.    

64.   Impossible to take a photo like this outside of a special trip: the metro tracks are completely fenced off - and off-limits! Photo DL, 13/10/2018. On the right, a view of the interior of a renovated trainset in Alstom's workshop in Fleurus, while the finishing touches are being made at the TEC depot in Jumet. Photo DL - 03/01/2025.

65.    

66.   Let's turn now to the most incongruous trio of stations in the Caroloregian network: Morgnies, Leernes and Paradis. Their very isolated locations (to put it mildly) are disconcerting (see following pages). Above, the 7445 has just left Morgnies station and is heading for Charleroi. Opposite, the same engine a minute earlier. Photos DL, 26/10/2019. 

67.    

68.   THE ENIGMA OF LEERNES

An attentive traveller taking the metro between Marchienne-au-Pont and Fontaine-L'Évêque will no doubt be surprised by the unexpected, if not inexplicable, location of the 3 metro stations, Morgnies, Leernes and Paradis. They were inaugurated in 1982 and used by trams on a line that was still very busy at the time, justifying a 6-tram-per-hour service.

But if you look at the map below, you'll see that the closest building to Leernes underground station is... the cemetery wall (bubble 1). It's true that there is a large social housing estate nearby (2), but the former are located 300 m from the station, and the latter some 800 m away!

The same applies to Morgnies station, where the first potential passengers live 200 m away, but the heart of the large residential area is 800 m away (3)! To turn this station into a multimodal interchange (see next page) for private cars, buses, taxis, bicycles and underground trains, the engineers planned two bus platforms and a car park for 28 cars. The result is very disappointing: only 2 bus lines stop at Paradis and the car park is usually occupied by only 5 or 6 cars. And even then, perhaps it's more for carpooling than for using the metro.

Paradis station is no better off. The nearest houses are 200 metres away. When it first opened, there was a SARMA department stores' (4) 500 metres away, which included a self-service restaurant (5) (later Lunch Garden, now Brico Dépot). When I met Mr Monnoyer, Director of SNCV Charleroi, in his offices at the depot in 1984, he said that the presence of this superstore justified the creation of a metro station. 40 years later, we realise the absurdity: on Saturdays, who would take a tram (running twice an hour) to go to a DIY superstore located 500 m from the station?

I'm not criticising TEC Charleroi (the public transport company inherited existing infrastructure), but rather the excessive optimism of the line's designers in the late 1970s. In their defence, it is true that there were plans to develop new residential areas near the stations. Perhaps they will be built one day, which will make these 3 isolated stations even more interesting.

Extract from the SNCV Charleroi timetable dated 22-05-1977

69.    

70.   The architecture of the metro stations inaugurated in June 1982 emphasised the 'all-concrete' approach: a style that was intended to be sober and economical, but which has not aged well. Above, you can see a bus transfer platform (served by only two lines) and a small car park, usually occupied by 5 or 6 cars. The one on the right, at Leernes, is almost always empty.  Photos DL, 03/01/2025.

71.    

72.   Welcome to the futuristic Leernes station. Why so expensive when a simple footbridge would have sufficed? And at the time, this project boasted of being economical and low in materials. On the right-hand page, it's easy to see how oversized the single platform is. Its width corresponds to that of the fixed staircases flanked by two escalators. Photos DL, 03/01/2025.

73.    

74.   Above, the 7425 has just left Leernes station and is heading through the woods towards Fontaine to reach the Paradis station. Photo DL, 03/01/2025. Opposite, the BN 7422 is about to reach Paradis, named after a street and hamlet in Fontaine-l'Évêque. Photo DL, 31/10/2019.

75.    

76.   On a beautiful autumn day, the 7441, en route to Charleroi, is about to leave Paradis station. Photo DL, 13/10/2018. On the facing page, the telephoto lens gazes into the distance at 7422, which has just left Paradis en route to Fontaine-l'Évêque and Anderlues. Photo DL, 19/10/2019.

77.    

78.   The same 7422 has just crossed 300 metres from the Paradis station and enters a clearing bordered by the N54. On the right, 7445 is in almost the same place, but the photo is taken from the pasture. Photos DL, 19/10/2019.

79.    

80.   Above, a BN heading towards Fontaine, photographed from the dual carriageway. Photo DL, 19/10/2019. Opposite, the 7429 train has just left the long Fontaine-l'Évêque tunnel, heading for Marchienne and Charleroi. The section was inaugurated in 1992. See the obvious incline of the tram as it bends. Photo DL, 13/10/2018.

81.    

82.   Here are two views of recovery locomotive 9175. Above, it has just come out of the Fontaine tunnel and is marked 92 Charleroi-Anderlues-Thuin, which ran until December 1983. Photo YLH - 06/03/2011. Today, the terminal section between Lobbes and Thuin is operated as a tourist attraction by the ASVi (see the Photorail 3 album, Balade en tram vicinal à Lobbes et Thuin). The photo opposite shows the same 9175, but inside the Fontaine tunnel. In their early days in the 1980s, SJs were nicknamed "rénovées". Photo JDB, 13/10/2018.

83.    

84.   BN 7441 has just left Pétria station and is entering the long Fontaine tunnel.  To the right, the 7442 does exactly the opposite and enters Pétria station. Strangely, access to the central platform this time is not via an escalator or staircase, but via a level crossing (as in many cities around the world). It is secured by a Saint Andrew's cross and flashing red lights, as well as a small wire maze. Photos EC, 23/04/2020.

85.    

86.   View of Pétria station and 7427 before it opened. The photo was taken in May 2023, when the ban on the use of plant protection products was still in force. Vegetation is growing fast! On the right, the 7401 comes from Anderlues and is about to enter the Pétria quay. This was originally the "official" terminus of line M2, hence the presence of a drawer track, which allows a refund. But TEC Charleroi has decided to make Anderlues the terminus for all trams coming from Charleroi. Photos CS, 17/05/2023.

87.    

88.   The 7436 waits on the centre pull-out track at my Pétria station, while the 7416 arrives from Anderlues on the left. Photo DL, 11/09/2021. In the photo opposite, the 7404 is captured by Eric Capiaux on a fine spring day, along the rue de Mons (N90), near the Surschiste stop. This stretch of road was rehabilitated in the early 2020s. Photo EC, 25/04/2020.

89.    

90.   Photo of SJ 9175, by Julian De Bondt. The film bears the number 89, which was a partial between Charleroi and Anderlues Jonction, reinforcing lines 90 (Charleroi-Anderlues-Binche-La Louvière) and 92 (Charleroi-Anderlues-Thuin). In 1977, this gave a frequency of 8 trams at peak times. Photo JDB, 13/10/2018. Opposite right, the 7445 near the Surschiste stop heads towards Charleroi Sud, renamed Charleroi Central. Photo EC, 06/04/2020.

91.    

92.   Pictured above is breakdown engine 9175 at the Surschiste stop, with SPECIAL film. Photo JDB, 13/10/2018. On the right-hand page, it's 7404 which, a little further on, reaches not a stop, but the bypass allowing trams to pass each other. Photo EC, 12/07/2012.

93.    

94.   These two photos show the bypass described on the previous page. Above, the BN 7451 & 7428 pass each other. The 7451 stands out with its special livery announcing the abandonment of the infotec.be Internet address in favour of letec.be (more logical). Photo DL, 31/10/2021. On the right-hand page, I'm in the same place, but inside the modernised 7429 train, which 3 seconds later will be passed by the 7419 coming from Anderlues. Photo DL, 09/09/2024.

95.    

96.   Shortly after the above-mentioned bypass, the 7446 and 7416 are photographed at the Route de Thuin stop a year apart (EC photos, 08/08/2020 & 23/07/2021). Look at how simple and economical the recent infrastructure is: single track, signal lights, short platform, tiny shelter, but with bin and cash machine. Simple, efficient and cheap. The days of the concrete orgy at Morgnies, Leernes and Paradis stations are long gone.

97.    

98.   The 7409 is pictured here having just left the Anderlues depot and is about to cross the carriageway to reach the Route de Thuin stop, 20 m to the right. Look out for the traffic lights (the red light at the far end, between the stop post and the bus), which ensure traffic safety. Photo JDB, 31/07/2022. On the right, the photo was taken a few metres further on, but the environment has changed completely: this was 5 years earlier, before the road was renovated. Photo CS, 01/04/2017.

99.    

100.          Here are two very different views, and yet the tram is in the same place: it's about to reach the Anderlues Jonction stop. The site has been completely refurbished, but unfortunately without a single platform for bus connections (as at Gilly Soleilmont). Opposite, the depot is on the far left: you can see the tram tracks leading to it. Photos EC, 16/08/2020 & DL, 18/06/2022.

101.           

102.          We are still at the Junction, with ASVi's homogeneous Type S 9148-9309 trainset. Photo DL, 19/03/2023. On the right, in the depot: two historic trams that look very similar. Type S 9974, of Brussels origin, is similar to the Charleroi Ss, but without whiskers; the lighter Type N 10490 (which never ran in the Charleroi region), is normally pole-mounted, but here is fitted with a pantograph. They bear the indexes 90 and 31, which were those of two long lines linking Anderlues to La Louvière via Binche or Morlanwelz. Photo DL, 28/10/2007.

103.           

104.          A rather rare photo of the Anderlues depot: the 7442 circled the installations from the rear and used the little-used turning loop. Photo JDB, 31/07/2022. Opposite, a view of the interior of the depot, with several BNs and, in the background, the SJ 7882 locomotive refitted as a Voies & Travaux tram. Photo DL. 25/03/2017.

105.           

106.          The interior of the Anderlues depot, with two examples of old equipment reconditioned as breakdown or infrastructure inspection vehicles. The operation was carried out by depot staff using whatever resources were available, which explains the different appearance of each locomotive. Take a look at the spotlights on 9176 and 7882, for example. DL photos, 25/03/2017.

107.           

108.          This slide, taken by Olivier Geerink in the 1990s, clearly shows just how special each of TEC Charleroi's recovery vehicles is. The most surprising model is certainly the Type SJ 9591, known as the "Oiseau bleu", used to inspect overhead lines (i.e. catenaries).  On the right, another 'parallel' by my friend and SNCV specialist Yves-Laurent Hansart. Photo YLH, 25/09/2024.

109.           

110.          A small "parallel" of 7448, 7450 and 7447 inside the Anderlues depot. On the far right, ASVi Type S 9148 with moustache can be seen carrying the index 90 Charleroi-Anderlues-Binche-La Louvière. Photo DL, 25/03/2017. In the photo opposite, the depot looks deserted; almost all the trains are in operation on the network. And yet we are at the end of a weekend day. Photo DL, 13/10/2018.

111.           

112.          Let's get back on track for the last kilometre before the terminus. The 7425 has just left the Anderlues Jonction stop to take the dual carriageway to Anderlues Station. Photo DL, 08/09/2024. On the right, Christian Scheemaekers immortalises the 7410 going in the opposite direction. The houses look much nicer since the road was renovated. Photo CS, 17/05/2023.

113.           

114.          Above: Although the BN 7404 is colourful, it is looking grey on this first day of April 2017. It has to be said that the weather is not doing its bit... but the dilapidated state of the roads explains it all. Vergelijk de situatie met het beeld pagina 113, na renovatie van het wegennet. Photo CS, 01/04/2017. On the right, 7430 is located a few dozen metres further on, near the former Anderlues station, on the SNCB 110 Piéton-Anderlues line (and towards Thuin, Binche and Mons). Photo DL, 20/04/2020.

115.           

116.          Above, the 7421 is about to reach the Anderlues Monument crossroads, which is also the last stop on the line. Photo DL, 20/04/2020. On the right, the 7451 has just left Anderlues Monument in its colourful Letec.be livery and is about to enter the double-track drawer at the terminus. Photo EC, 08/08/2020.

117.           

118.          End of the line! Above, the driver put the 7421 away to change direction and driving position, heading back to Charleroi for the next service. Just like you! Enjoy your journey! Photo EC, 15/04/2020. -

THANK YOU! DANK U! DANKE ! THANK YOU! To my wife and children for your comments; Yves-Laurent Hansart (YLH) for your advice and photos; and Christian Scheemaekers (CS), Eric Capiaux (EC), Julian De Bondt (JdB), Olivier Geerink (OG) for your photos.