Villa Literno–Napoli Gianturco railway

The Villa Literno–Napoli Gianturco railway (also called the Naples Passante) is a 16 km-long double track line which connects the line to Rome via Formia with the line to Salerno near Napoli Gianturco station through Naples and its north-western suburbs. This line is used by the metropolitan trains named as line 2.

Villa Literno–Napoli Gianturco railway
Overview
Statusin use
OwnerRFI
LocaleCampania, Italy
Termini
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)Trenitalia
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification3 kV DC
Route map

180.348
Villa Literno
188.682
Giugliano-Qualiano
196.067
Quarto di Marano
since 1939 [1]
198.144
Via Campana
201.339
Pozzuoli Solfatara
204.983
Bagnoli-Agnano Terme
FS-SEPSA junction
206.815
Cavalleggeri Aosta
since 1961 [2]
207.448
Napoli Campi Flegrei
207.898
Napoli Piazza Leopardi
since 1927 [3]
209.892
Napoli Mergellina
210.296
Metropolitana (6041 m)
211.550
Napoli Piazza Amedeo
213.050
Napoli Montesanto
214.370
Napoli Piazza Cavour
215.971
Napoli Piazza Garibaldi
216.337
Napoli Gianturco
Source: Italian railway atlas[4]

History

edit

With the construction of Rome–Naples Direttissima, it was decided to build a through railway ("Passante"), partly on the surface and partly underground, directly connecting the line from Salerno with the line to Rome, without the need to reverse trains. The line would also allow the construction of several railway stations in order to create an urban metropolitan service.

Although work started in 1906, it was not opened until 20 September 1925 due to delays in completing the work, mainly as a result of World War I and the hilliness of the route. The railway consists of three stations outside the city of Naples in Pozzuoli, Giugliano (its station, Giugliano-Qualiano is some distance from the centres of both Giugliano and Qualiano) and Quarto and six in the city at Napoli Garibaldi, Cavour, Montesanto, Amedeo, Chiaia and Fuorigrotta. The entire line was double track and electrified with 650 V DC third rail.

In 1927 the names of the stations of Chiaia and Fuorigrotta were changed to respectively in Mergellina and Campi Flegrei. In the same year the Direttissima was completed connecting to the metropolitana near Villa Literno station and the stations of Bagnoli and Gianturco were opened. In 1929 the station of Piazza Leopardi was opened.

In 1935, the line was electrified with standard Italian Railways 3 kV DC Overhead Lines, a new station was opened at Cavalleggeri d'Aosta and the station at Piazza Garibaldi (beneath Napoli Centrale) was rebuilt.

Today the metropolitan trains of the line 2 operates between Gianturco to Pozzuoli on the line. Some of them go further to Castellammare di Stabia, Salerno and Caserta. Until 2009, the stations of Piazza Garibaldi, Mergellina and Campi Flegrei were also served by long-distance trains, but this severely interfered with the suburban services.

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Ordine di Servizio FS n. 55, 1939
  2. ^ Ordine di Servizio FS n. 172, 1961
  3. ^ Ordine di Servizio FS n. 101, 1927
  4. ^ Atlante ferroviario s'Italia e Slovenia [Italian and Slovenian railway atlas)] (1 ed.). Schweers + Wall. 2010. pp. 150, 152, 155. ISBN 978-3-89494-129-1.

See also

edit
edit

  Media related to Villa Literno–Napoli Gianturco railway at Wikimedia Commons