White elephant: Charleroi's unfinished light-rail network

Als kruisbericht geplaatst vanaf: https://lemm.ee/post/3221727

In Charleroi, Belgium, a significant portion of the light-rail network was built using shell structures, but it never became operational due to financial limitations. This was due to insufficient funds to complete the construction and cover operational expenses.

During the 1960s, the government initiated plans for an extensive light-rail network consisting of a central ring with 8 outward lines. The network's design aimed for maximum efficiency by avoiding road intersections, leading to the inclusion of numerous tunnels and viaducts in the blueprint.

Over the subsequent decades (70s, 80s, and 90s), only a portion of the central ring was actually built, and construction was limited to just 3 outward lines. Unfortunately, the project proved too costly, exacerbated by the economic decline in the Wallonia region caused by industrial downturn. As a result, certain parts of the network were constructed using basic structures and remain unused to this day.