Aurora (train)

The Aurora was a domestic Trans Europ Express in Italy linking Rome with Reggio di Calabria. The train was named after the Roman goddess of dawn, referring to the train's early morning departure from Rome.

For the Alaska Railroad seasonal passenger service, see Aurora Winter Train.
Aurora
Overview
Service typeTrans Europ Express (TEE; 1974–75)
Rapido (1975–87)
City Night Line (CNL)
LocaleItaly, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark
First service26 May 1974 (1974-05-26)
Current operator(s)CityNightLine
Former operator(s)Ferrovie dello Stato
Route
TerminiRome / Basel
Reggio di Calabria / Copenhagen
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification3000 V DC (Italy)
15 kV 16,7 Hz (Germany & Switzerland)
25 kV 50 Hz (Denmark)

Trans Europ Express

The Aurora was based on existing first-class only Rapidos running between Rome and Naples. In 1974 the service was extended to Reggio di Calabria and upgraded to Trans Europ Express.[1] The southbound service used the schedule of Rapido 893, the northbound service the schedule of Rapido 882 already running from Reggio to Rome.[2] Despite the scenic route along the Tyrrhenian sea between Naples and Reggio di Calabria, loading figures on this stretch were very low and consequently the Aurora was downgraded to a two-class Rapido after only 371 days as TEE on 1 June 1975.[1] On 1 June 1980 the service was extended to Palermo using the train ferry to cross the Strait of Messina. On 30 May 1987 the rapido Aurora was withdrawn from service.[3]

TEE 89 country station km TEE 88
07:20 ItalyRoma Termini022:05
08:54 ItalyNapoli Mergellina20920:21
09:04 ItalyNapoli Piazza Garibaldi21420:11
 ItalySalerno268
 ItalyMaratea407
 ItalyLamezia Terme546
 ItalyGioia Tauro638
 ItalyVilla San Giovanni675
 ItalyReggio Lido682
13:55 ItalyReggio Calabria68415:25

CityNightLine

Later CityNightLine revived the name for its train which services the Basel-Copenhagen route:[4]

The stations served by the Aurora are:

Outward journeyReturn journey
Basel SBBCopenhagen C
Basel Bad Bf (Basel German Station)Roskilde
Freiburg (Brg) HbfRingsted
OffenburgOdense
Karlsruhe HbfKolding
Mannheim HbfPadborg
Frankfurt (Main) SüdFlensburg
Fulda HbfNeumünster
NeumünsterFulda
FlensburgFrankfurt (Main) Süd
PadborgMannheim Hbf
KoldingKarlsruhe Hbf
OdenseOffenburg
RingstedFreiburg (Brg) Hbf
RoskildeBasel Bad Bf
Copenhagen CBasel SBB

References
  1. Das grosse TEE Buch p. 120
  2. La Légende des TEE p. 352.
  3. La Légende des TEE p. 353.
  4. CityNightLine's official listings on this Line Archived March 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine

Works cited
  • Hajt, Jörg (2001). Das grosse TEE Buch (in German). Bonn/Königswinter: Heel Verlag. ISBN 3-89365-948-X.
  • Mertens, Maurice; Malaspina, Jean-Pierre (2007). La Légende des Trans Europ Express (in French). Vannes: LR Presse. ISBN 978-29-036514-5-9.
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