WALLOON Transport Minister José Daras has unveiled a €89·4m programme to complete the light metro network in Charleroi within five years. Work on this long-stalled project began in 1970 and is believed to have cost BFr22·5bn to date.
The latest proposals would see a new surface alignment to complete the city-centre loop between Parc and the SNCB station at Charleroi Sud, expected to cost €18·8m, and the extension of the Gilly branch to Soleilmont, budgeted at €17·2m. The largest single project is a new route from Piges to Gosselies costing €39·7m, where reserved alignments would replace the currently-disused street tracks.
To fund the programme, metro company SRWT would borrow €84·7m with guarantees from the Walloon regional government, which would be responsible for debt repayment including financial charges.
