Editing Charleroi (section)

==Transport==

===Air===
[[File:Charleroi-Bruxelles-sud-aéroport-Christophe-Vandercam.jpg|thumb|[[Brussels South Charleroi Airport]]]]

The [[Brussels South Charleroi Airport]] in [[Gosselies]], {{convert|7|km|abbr=on}} north of the centre, opened in 1919 as a flight school.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081114102611/http://www.charleroi-airport.com/doc.php?nd=115&tid=15&site=1&lg=2&deploy=1 How it all started]. Charleroi-airport.com</ref> Later, it housed the [[Avions Fairey|Fairey]] aircraft-factory building.<ref>[http://www.baha.be/Webpages/Navigator/Belgian_Aviation_History/Industry/Sonaca.htm Avions Fairey Gosselies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620005139/http://www.baha.be/Webpages/Navigator/Belgian_Aviation_History/Industry/Sonaca.htm |date=2010-06-20 }}. Baha.be. Retrieved on 21 December 2012.</ref>

Gosselies is now used as an alternate airport for [[Brussels]]. Low-cost carrier [[Ryanair]] is the largest airline to provide service there; others include [[Wizz Air]], [[Jetairfly]].  Seasonal holiday charters also use the airport.

A new terminal opened in January 2008,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Brussels South Charleroi Airport|url=http://www.charleroi-airport.com/doc.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629052642/http://www.charleroi-airport.com/doc.php?nd=162&tid=62&docid=357&lg=2&page=5&site=1|archive-date=29 June 2012|access-date=7 February 2008}}</ref> replacing a much smaller building which had exceeded capacity.

[[Brussels]] is {{convert|47|km|abbr=on}} north of Charleroi Airport.

In October 2021, the {{convert|650|m|abbr=on}} extension of the runway was officially opened, bringing it to a total length of {{convert|3200|m|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orban |first=André |date=2021-10-08 |title=The runway extension of Brussels South Charleroi Airport is inaugurated, paving the way for long-haul flights |url=https://www.aviation24.be/airports/brussels-south-charleroi-crl/the-runway-extension-of-brussels-south-charleroi-airport-is-inaugurated-paving-the-way-for-long-haul-flights/ |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=Aviation24.be |language=en-GB}}</ref>

===Rail===
[[File:Station Charleroi-Sud.jpg|thumb|[[Charleroi-Central railway station]]]]

Charleroi is connected by train to other Belgian major cities through the main [[Charleroi-Central railway station]]. The city also has a secondary railway station, [[Charleroi-West railway station|Charleroi-West]],<ref name="Belgium & Luxembourg"/> on the Charleroi-to-[[Ottignies]] line.

===River transport===
The Port autonome de Charleroi gives access through the Belgian, Dutch and French canal and river network to three major ports (Dunkirk, Antwerp and Rotterdam). Il is composed of twenty-nine ports in the region of Charleroi distributed along the [[river Sambre]] and the [[Brussels-Charleroi canal]]. It has 8&nbsp;km of embankments, 5 million tons of goods transported each year, 10.000 containers and a trimodal platform for the containers;
100 companies have a concession and there are 1700 direct and 1000 indirect jobs associated.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=25 May 2023|title=Les sites portuaires|url=https://www.portcharleroi.be/fr/sites|website=Port autonome de Charleroi}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>

===Public transport===
[[File:Métro léger de Charleroi - station Sud - travaux - 2022-11-26 - 01.jpg|thumb|''Gare centrale'' (MLC)]]

Public transport is provided by [[Société Régionale Wallonne du Transport|TEC]] (Transport En Commun), the [[Walloons|Walloon]] public transport service. The greater Charleroi region is served by bus lines and a [[light-rail]] [[semi-metro]] system,<ref name="LRTA">{{cite book |last1=Davies |first1=W. J. K. |last2=Thompson |first2=K. G. |last3=Winchester |first3=B. G. |title=100 Years of the Belgian Vicinal: SNCV/NMVB, 1885-1985: a Century of Secondary Rail Transport in Belgium |date=1986 |publisher=Light Rail Transit Association |isbn=978-0-900433-97-9 |page=181 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i5O1IgAACAAJ |language=en}}</ref> named ''[[Métro Léger de Charleroi]]''. Part of the latter is famous for incorporating one of the few remnants of the [[Vicinal tramway|Vicinal]], the former Belgian national tramway network.
Charleroi also has a planned four-line S-bahn type suburban rail system, the {{interlanguage link|Réseau express régional de Charleroi|fr}} (Réseau S).

====Charleroi light rail system====
[[File:Métro léger de Charleroi - véhicule 7429 rénové - 2024-02-01 - 01.jpg|thumb|Métro Léger de Charleroi]]

The ''[[Métro Léger de Charleroi]]'' is equally famous for the parts of the system which were never built, partially built or fully completed but not opened. It was planned in the 1960s as a 48&nbsp;km (30&nbsp;mi.) light-rail network, operating partly on [[rapid transit|metro]] infrastructure, consisting of eight branch lines radiating from a central loop downtown.<ref>{{cite web|title=Urbanrail.net|url=http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/cha/charleroi-planned-network.gif|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410071629/http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/cha/charleroi-planned-network.gif|archive-date=10 April 2010|access-date=7 August 2016|format=GIF}}</ref> However, only one line (to Petria), part of another line (to Gilly) and three-quarters of the loop were actually built and opened to traffic, all from 1976 to 1996. Another branch line toward the suburb of Châtelet (Châtelineau) was almost fully built, to the extent of installing power cables, escalators and still-working electric signals in the first three stations<ref>{{cite web|title=Diggelfjoer: Abandoned|url=http://diggelfjoer.swalker.nl/index.php?main=aband&sub=abandcharl&page=abandcharl2|access-date=7 August 2016|website=Diggelfjoer.swalker.nl}}</ref> but was never opened as passenger numbers would be too low to economically justify the extra staff. The high costs of construction, a decline in Charleroi's traditional "smokestack" industries and questioning of the scope of the whole project in proportion to the actual demand for it are cited as reasons for the original plan's becoming unfulfilled.

The central loop and the Gilly branch as far as Soleilmont were completed in 2012, with funds from the [[European Investment Bank]].<ref>{{cite web|title=EIB loan for Charleroi light metro|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/eib-loan-for-charleroi-light-metro.html|access-date=7 August 2016|publisher=[[Railway Gazette International]]|archive-date=23 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823025545/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/eib-loan-for-charleroi-light-metro.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Gosselies branch opened as a street-level tramline in 2013.<ref>[http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/be/char/charleroi.htm > Europe > Belgium > Charleroi Prémétro (Belgium)]. UrbanRail.Net (28 August 1992). Retrieved on 21 December 2012.</ref> In June 2021 it was announced that €60m will be allocated to refurbish and open the long-ago completed but never served inner section of the Châtelet "ghost" line, and extend it to the new hospital development in the area.<ref>[https://www.rtbf.be/article/le-metro-de-charleroi-se-prolongera-bien-vers-le-futur-grand-hopital-a-gilly-10789907?id=10789907] RTBF.be - The Charleroi metro will extend well towards the future large hospital in Gilly, June 23rd 2021</ref>

in June 2021, the new look of the first renovated tram was presented. This €22 million fleet-wide renovation will be completed by 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-21 |title=Les trams du TEC Charleroi complètement reliftés: 500.000€ nécessaires pour chacun! |url=https://www.sudinfo.be/id469723/article/2022-06-21/les-trams-du-tec-charleroi-completement-reliftes-500000eu-necessaires-pour |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=sudinfo.be |language=fr}}</ref>