Rome–Formia–Naples railway

The Rome–Formia–Naples railway—also called the Rome–Naples Direttissima in Italian ("most direct")–is part of the traditional main north-south trunk line of the Italian railway network. It was opened in 1927 as a fast link as an alternative to the existing Rome–Naples via Cassino line, significantly reducing journey times. High-speed trains on the route use the parallel Rome–Naples high-speed railway, which was partially opened in December 2005, and fully in December 2009.

Rome–Formia–Naples railway
Rome–Formia–Naples railway
Overview
Statusin use
OwnerRFI
LocaleItaly
Termini
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)Trenitalia
Technical
Line length214 km (133 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification3 kV DC
Route map

km
0.000
Roma Termini
58 m
Left arrowto Florence (slow), (high-speed) and Pescara
Right arrowto Viterbo, Pisa and Fiumicino
belt railway
local line from Roma Tuscolana
and Roma Tiburtina
4.257
Roma Casilina
49 m
to Naples (via Cassino), Frascati,
Albano and Velletri
Castelli Romani tramway
11.195
Torricola
87 m
16.576
Divino Amore
23.950
Pomezia-Santa Palomba
124 m
33.500
Campoleone
126 m
Left arrowto Nettuno and Right arrowto Albano
Albano–Nettuno railway
39.874
Carano
(opened 1941)[1]
49.780
Cisterna di Latina
61.018
Latina
from Velletri (closed 1958)
70.221
Sezze Romano
to Priverno (closed 1958)
from Priverno (closed 1985)
85.391
Priverno-Fossanova
to Terracina
Mont'Orso tunnel
102.901
Monte San Biagio-Terracina Mare
109.616
Fondi-Sperlonga
Vivola tunnel
(7455 m)
122.502
Itri
from Gaeta (closed 1966)
128.423
Formia-Gaeta
131.214
Sparanise–Gaeta railway,
old route (closed 1932)
138.478
Minturno-Scauri
to Sparanise (old route, closed 1943)
Cellole
149.567
Cellole junction, to Sparanise (new route,
opened 1949, closed 1957)
153.456
Sessa Aurunca-Roccamonfina
Monte Massico tunnel
164.832
Falciano-Mondragone-Carinola
Volturno river
173.090
Cancello Arnone
180.348
0.000
Villa Literno
5.860
Albanova
9.556
San Marcellino-Frignano
to Cancello
14.335
Aversa
182.114
Sant'Antimo-Sant'Arpino
51 m
183.819
Frattamaggiore-Grumo Nevano
52 m
Casoria
(old)
188.551
Casoria-Afragola
63 m
Napoli Centrale
km
Source: Italian railway atlas[2]

History

Problems with the Rome–Naples line via Cassino led to proposals for the construction of a new line nearer the coast as early as 1871. When the Papal States planned the Cassino line, it was not designed just as a direct connection with Naples, but also was intended to connect with smaller localities on the way. Partly as a result, it had a tortuous route which, especially in the valley of the Sacco River, was subject to frequent disruption by floods and landslides. The old line was built to the avoid the coastal route through the Pontine Marshes, which was still swampy and malarial. As a result, its route is hilly and in parts mountainous, creating problems for the under-powered steam locomotives of the period.[3]

The construction of a coastal line was authorised by legislation on 29 July 1879 on condition that it was coordinated with the Terracina–Priverno and the Gaeta–Formia–Sparanise lines. The commitment was confirmed by legislation on 5 July 1882 and during the reorganisation of the Italian railways in 1885. The project was always controversial: it is supported by railway engineers such as Alfredo Cottrau[4] but opposed by politicians such as Francesco Saverio Nitti.[5]

The final design of the line was drafted in 1902 and approved in 1905 when responsibility for the project was assumed by Ferrovie dello Stato (the State Railways). Construction began in 1907 but was not finished until 1927 because it was necessary to dig several long tunnels, including the Monte Orso and the Vivola tunnels, both of which are about 7.5 km long.

The line was electrified at 3000 V DC in 1935. Following this, electric trains could run over the entire north-south route from Bologna to Naples.

Since 2009, when the Rome-Naples high-speed railway was opened, trains from Rome Termini have no longer operated over the Villa Literno–Napoli Gianturco railway (Naples Passante), but instead run from Villa Literno via Aversa to Napoli Centrale.

Branches

Notes

  1. "[unknown title]". Service order (in Italian). Azienda autonoma delle Ferrovie dello Stato (107). 1941.
  2. Atlante ferroviario s'Italia e Slovenia [Italian and Slovenian railway atlas] (1st ed.). Schweers + Wall. 2010. pp. 69, 75–77, 82, 147–153, 155. ISBN 978-3-89494-129-1.
  3. Taverna, A. Storia delle ferrovie italiane (History of the Italian railways) (in Italian).
  4. Cottrau, Alfredo (1883). La direttissima Napoli-Roma; studiata in modo da usufruire di alcuni tratti dell'attuale linea ferroviaria Cottrau (in Italian). Napoli.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. Nitti, Francesco Saverio (1903). Napoli e la questione meridionale (in Italian). Pierro.

See also

Winchester, Clarence, ed. (1936), "The Rome-Naples Direttissima", Railway Wonders of the World, pp. 1332–1336 contemporary illustrated description of the route

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