Gare de Marseille Saint-Charles

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Saint-Charles Station main staircase.

Le Grand Escalier and the boulevard d'Athènes in Marseille, seen from Saint-Charles Station

Saint Charles is the main railway station of Marseille. It is a terminus and opened on 8 January 1848, having been built for the PLM on the land of the Saint Charles Cemetery. The station is perched on top of a small hill and is linked to the city centre by a monumental set of stairs.

The station was once a stage on the voyage to Africa and the Middle-East before the popularisation of flying. Passengers now arrive from Paris, the North of France and the United Kingdom.

The station building was built in a U shape around a rooftop canopy. It was opened in 1848 on top of a plateau. Both wings house the arrivals and departures. To the rear of the station, along Boulevard Voltaire was the station's goods yard which was used up until the end of the 1990s by the SNCF's road freight operations, Sernam. The station firstly isolated from the town was equipped by a great staircase, was thought of in 1911 and opened un 1926. It is bordered by African and Middle-East inspired statues.

A first extension was opened after World War II. The buildings on the northside had been destroyed and were rebuilt and housed the administration offices of the SNCF. A new between level was opened to enhance the flow of passengers.

At the end of the 1990s and redevelopement project began with the opening of the Marseille underground and bus interchange as well as the arrival of the TGV Méditerranée.

A new passenger concourse was opened below the administration offices to link the station with the transport interchange. This is due to open at the end of 2006.

[edit] Station layout

Saint-Charles has 14 dead end platforms and 4 tracks leaving it, all equipped with 1500 DC overhead wire. Near the entrance to the station, track splits into two lines; towards Vintimille and the North as well as a single track line to Briançon. A single track branch line links Saint-Charles to the harbour station of La Joliette.