Charleroi Metro line 2
Line M2 is a line of the Charleroi Metro in Belgium operated by TEC Charleroi, running from the Monument tram stop in Anderlues to the metro loop around central Charleroi, before heading back to Anderlues. Line M2 was created on February 27th 2012 to replace former lines 88 and 89 after completion of the loop around central Charleroi. Introduction of new line numbers (M1, M2, M3 and M4) in February 2012 coincided with the formal association of colors to line numbers. The official color for line M2 is green.
Line M2 is identical to line M1 except that it runs along the downtown loop in a clockwise direction. When line M3 opens (probably in 2013), line M2 will start and terminate at Pétria instead of Anderlues-Monument, leaving the Pétria to Anderlues section served by line M1 only.
Line M2 has a length of 32.12-kilometre (19.96 mi) (including the return portion to Anderlues), of which 6.98-kilometre (4.34 mi) are on a standard tram line on the street (in Anderlues) and the remainder on pre-metro infrastructure. It has 29 pre-metro stations (18 distinct) and 12 tram stops (6 distinct). Lines M1 and M2 are the longest lines of the Charleroi Metro network, with M1 becoming the sole longest line when M2 is limited to Pétria in 2013.
Operation
Trams drive on the right on the entire line, but the regular tram section of the line in Anderlues (outside of pre-metro infrastructure) runs on the left, right, or in the middle of the street. A couple of portions of that section in Anderlues are single-track. When line M2 is limited to Pétria in 2013, the full length of the line will operate on pre-metro infrastructure.
Officially, Pétria station constitutes the terminus of the line in both directions, however, station and train signage in the eastern direction (towards Charleroi) mentions Charleroi-Sud as a pseudo-terminus for clarity.
The journey duration from Pétria to Sud is 31 minutes, while the duration from Sud to Pétria is 24 minutes.
| Period | First departure from Pétria |
First departure from Sud |
Last departure from Sud |
Last arrival in Pétria |
Interval between trains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday from January to June and from September to December |
05:37 | 06:09 | 18:39 | 19:03 | 30 minutes |
| Monday to Friday in July and August |
07:07 | 07:39 | 17:09 | 17:41 | 60 minutes 30 minutes during morning/afternoon peak times |
| Saturday | 05:22 | 05:54 | 18:54 | 19:18 | 60 minutes |
| Sunday and public holidays | 07:14 | 07:54 | 18:54 | 19:18 | 60 minutes |
Because M2 trams going from Sud to Pétria enter Beaux-Arts station from the West and have to leave it to the West, a change of direction is required. Trams accomplish this by first passing through Beaux-Arts on a lateral track without stopping, before entering a loop-shaped tunnel leading back to the station but from the opposite direction.
List of stations
This list represents the M2 line as it will operate when line M1 opens in 2013.