Narrow-gauge railways in Italy

Most narrow-gauge railways in Italy were built with Italian metre gauge, which is actually 950 mm (3 ft 1+38 in) because historically the Italian track gauge was defined from the centres of the rail instead of the internationally accepted method of measuring the gauge from the inside edges of the rails. Several metre-gauge lines were built in northern Italy.


Track gauge
By transport mode
By size (list)
Graphic list of track gauges

Minimum
  Minimum
  Fifteen inch 381 mm (15 in)

Narrow
 
  • 600 mm
  • 610 mm
  • 686 mm
  • (1 ft 11+58 in)
  • (2 ft)
  • (2 ft 3 in)
 
  • 750 mm
  • 760 mm
  • 762 mm
  • (2 ft 5+12 in)
  • (2 ft 5+1516 in)
  • (2 ft 6 in)
 
  • 891 mm
  • 900 mm
  • 914 mm
  • 950 mm
  • (2 ft 11+332 in)
  • (2 ft 11+716 in)
  • (3 ft)
  • (3 ft1+1332 in)
  Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in)
  Three foot six inch 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
  Four foot 1,219 mm (4 ft 0 in)
  Four foot six inch 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)
  1432 mm 1,432 mm (4 ft 8+38 in)

  Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)

Broad
 
  • 1,445 mm
  • 1,450 mm
  • (4 ft 8+78 in)
  • (4 ft 9+332 in)
  Leipzig gauge 1,458 mm (4 ft 9+1332 in)
  Toronto gauge 1,495 mm (4 ft 10+78 in)
 
  • 1,520 mm
  • 1,524 mm
  • (4 ft 11+2732 in)
  • (5 ft)
 
  • 1,581 mm
  • 1,588 mm
  • 1,600 mm
  • (5 ft 2+14 in)
  • (5 ft 2+12 in)
  • (5 ft 3 in)
  Baltimore gauge 1,638 mm (5 ft 4+12 in)
 
  • 1,668 mm
  • 1,676 mm
  • (5 ft 5+2132 in)
  • (5 ft 6 in)
  Six foot 1,829 mm (6 ft)
  Brunel 2,140 mm (7 ft 14 in)
Change of gauge
By location
World map, rail gauge by region
A Naples Circumvesuviana train arrives at Pompei-Scavi in 2004

123 km 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) gauge (123 km electrified); 1,290 km 950 mm (3 ft 1+38 in) gauge (151 km electrified); 231 km 850 mm (2 ft 9+1532 in) gauge (2008)[1]

1200 mm gauge

1,200 mm (3 ft 11+14 in) narrow-gauge railways in Italy are:

1100 mm gauge

The temporary Mont Cenis Railway (1868–1871) was 1,100 mm (3 ft 7+516 in) gauge.

Metre-gauge lines (1000 mm)

Railcar on the Rittnerbahn/Ferrovia del Renon

Italian metre-gauge lines (950 mm)

Most in Southern Italy

Calabria

In Calabria there is the Cosenza–Catanzaro Lido railway, with a branch to San Giovanni in Fiore, and two lines from Gioia Tauro. All are owned by Ferrovie della Calabria.

Naples area

Rome

Sardinia

In Sardinia, a network of narrow-gauge lines (950 mm / 3 ft 1+38 in) was built, to complement the standard-gauge main network which covered the main cities and ports. The lines were:

Of the lines which are still present, only

still carry regular passenger services, operated by Ferrovie della Sardegna.[2] The others only operate a scenic tourist service known as Trenino Verde (little green train)

In Sassari, the Sassari Tram-train (or Metrosassari) is a 950mm-gauge tramway linking the railway station with the city centre.

Sicily

In Sicily, the Ferrovia Circumetnea railway runs around the Mount Etna. Other 950 mm (3 ft 1+38 in) narrow-gauge lines of Ferrovie dello Stato operated, but are now closed. The last of which was the CastelvetranoPorto Empedocle, closed in 1985.

South-eastern Italy

In the Apulia and Basilicata regions, there are some railway lines connecting Bari, Potenza, Matera, and Avigliano. These are operated by Ferrovie Apulo Lucane.[3]

850 mm gauge line

Bosnian-gauge lines (760 mm)

Decauville gauge (600 mm)

In South Tyrol there are two tourist lines using 600 mm (1 ft 11+58 in) gauge trains.

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

  • Organ, John (2012). Italy Narrow Gauge: The Dolomites to Calabria. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 9781908174178.
  • Organ, John (2013). Sardinia and Sicily Narrow Gauge: Scenic Rail Journeys on the Italian Islands. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 9781908174505.

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