High-speed rail in Italy
High-speed rail in Italy consists of two lines connecting most of the country's major cities. The first line connects Turin to Salerno via Milan, Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples, the second runs from Turin to Venice via Milan and Verona, and is under construction in parts.[1] Trains are operated with a top speed of 300 km/h (190 mph).
Passenger service is provided by Trenitalia and, since April 2012, by NTV, the world's first private open-access operator of high-speed rail to compete with a state-owned monopoly. 25 million passengers traveled on the network in 2011.[2] In 2015, ridership increased to 55 million for Trenitalia[3] and 9.1 million for NTV,[4] for a combined 64 million passengers.
History
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The Direttissima opened in 1977 as the first high-speed rail route in Italy and Europe, connecting Rome with Florence. The top speed on the line was 250 km/h (160 mph), giving an end-to-end journey time of about 90 minutes with an average speed of 200 km/h (120 mph). This line used a 3 kV DC supply.
High-speed service was introduced on the Rome-Milan line in 1988–89 with the
The Italian high-speed rail projects suffered from a number of cost overruns and delays. Corruption and unethical behaviour played a key role.[7]
In November 2018, the first high-speed
Rolling stock
Service on the high speed lines is provided by
- AGV 575: non-tilting, it can reach 360 km/h (220 mph) and has an operational speed of up to 300 km/h (190 mph), operated by NTV as Italo;
- ETR 500: non-tilting, it can reach 360km/h, operational speeds up to 300 km/h (190 mph), operated by Trenitalia as the Frecciarossa;
- ETR 1000: non-tilting, operated by Trenitalia as the Frecciarossa 1000, it can reach 400 km/h (250 mph) and has operational speed of 300 km/h (190 mph).[10]
- ETR 485, tilting, speeds up to 250 km/h (160 mph), operated by Trenitalia as the Frecciargento. It operates mainly on traditional lines;
- ETR 600, tilting, speeds up to 250 km/h (160 mph), operated by Trenitalia as the Frecciarossa. It operates on routes that include relatively important sections on traditional lines, but also high-speed ones;
- ETR 610: tilting, speeds up to 250 km/h (160 mph), operated by Trenitalia on EuroCity trains between Italy and Switzerland together with Girunotrainsets;
- ETR 675: non-tilting, operated by NTV as Italo;
- ETR 700: non-tilting, speeds up to 250 km/h (160 mph), operated by Trenitalia as Frecciarossa mostly on routes consisting of sections on both traditional and high-speed lines.
Current limitations on the tracks set the maximum operating speed of the trains at 300 km/h (186 mph) after plans for 360 km/h (224 mph) operations were cancelled.[11] Development of the
TGV trains also run on the Paris-Turin-Milan service, but do not use any high-speed line in Italy.[14]
Network
The following high-speed rail lines are in use.
Line | Length | Opening | Travel time | Top speed | Voltage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florence–Rome "Direttissima" | 254 km (158 mi) | 24 February 1977 / 26 May 1992 | 1:18 | 250 km/h (155 mph)[15] | 3 kV DC |
Rome–Naples | 205 km (127 mi) | 19 December 2005 / 13 December 2009 | 1:08 | 300 km/h (185 mph)[15] | 25 kV 50 Hz |
Turin–Milan | 125 km (78 mi) | 10 February 2006 (Turin-Novara) 13 December 2009 (Novara-Milan) |
0:44 | 300 km/h (185 mph)[15] | 25 kV 50 Hz |
Padua–Venice (Mestre) | 25 km (16 mi) | 1 March 2007 | 0:14 | 220 km/h (135 mph)[15] | 3 kV DC |
Milan–Verona (partly under construction) | 67 km (42 mi)[1] | 10 June 2007 (Milano-Treviglio) 11 December 2016 (Treviglio-Brescia) |
0:36 | 200 km/h (125 mph) (Milano-Treviglio) [15] 300 km/h (185 mph) (Treviglio-Brescia) |
3 kV DC
25 kV 50 Hz |
Naples-Salerno "via Linea Monte Vesuvio" (L.M.V.) | 29 km (18 mi) | 15 April 2008 | 0:30 | 250 km/h (155 mph)[15] | 3 kV DC |
Milan–Bologna | 215 km (134 mi) | 13 December 2008[16] | 0:53 | 300 km/h (185 mph)[15] | 25 kV 50 Hz |
Bologna–Florence | 79 km (49 mi) | 5 December 2009 | 0:35 | 300 km/h (185 mph)[15] | 25 kV 50 Hz |
Total | 974 |
The table shows minimum and maximum (depending on stops) travel times.[17]
Bologna | Florence | Milan | Naples | Rome | Turin | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bologna | - | 0:35 | 0:53 | 3:15 (3:35) | 1:54 (2:03) | 2:02 |
Florence | 0:35 | - | 1:31 | 2:31 (2:51) | 1:18 (1:45) | 2:38 |
Milan | 0:53 | 1:31 | - | 3:50 (4:18) | 2:40 (3:08) | 0:44 (1:00) |
Naples | 3:15 (3:35) | 2:31 (2:51) | 3:50 (4:18) | - | 1:08 | 5:00 (5:25) |
Rome | 1:54 (2:35) | 1:18 (1:45) | 2:40 (3:08) | 1:08 | - | 3:48 |
Turin | 2:02 | 2:38 | 0:44 (1:00) | 5:00 (5:25) | 3:48 | - |
Milan to Salerno Corridor
The Milan to Salerno is the major north–south corridor of the high-speed network.
The
The
The Florence–Rome segment consists of the older "Direttissima" (literally: most direct) line between the two cities, with a length of 240 km (150 mi). The first high-speed line in Europe, the "Direttissima" was completed in between 1977 and 1992. This segment is being upgraded by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana. Entering Rome, high-speed trains have the option of stopping at either the new intermodal station at Tiburtina, developed by architects ABD Associate led by Paolo Desideri, or Termini station.
The
Turin to Trieste Corridor
The
The
Lines under construction
Milan–Genoa
A line from Milan to Genoa was approved in 2006 at €6.2 billion; construction work started in 2011.[25] Work between Genoa and Tortona was temporarily halted due to funding problems, but restarted in 2019 and now is expected to be completed by 2026.[26]
Milan–Venice
On the line from Milan to Venice high speed trains still have to use the conventional line between Brescia and Padua. The remaining portion from Brescia to Padua is under construction at a cost of €2.5 billion, while the rest of the line is already in operation. The section between Brescia and Verona will be completed in 2023 while construction should finish on the section between Verona and Padua in 2027, including a 7.7 km (4.8 mi) tunnel between Lonato del Garda and Desenzano del Garda.[27]
Naples–Bari
The construction of the line from Naples to Bari began in 2015[28] and will cut Naples–Bari journeys from four to two hours.[29] Totaling €6.2 billion for the whole project, the final €2.1 billion needed to complete the project was approved in 2019.[27] The completion of the line is projected for 2027.[29]
Palermo–Catania
Palermo and Catania, Sicily's largest cities, are currently connected by a double-track railway which is limited to a single-track section between Catenanuova and Bicocca (near Catania). This requires trains to stop and wait for the train from the opposite direction to pass. The first step to improving this line is doubling this single-track section of 38 km (24 mi) kilometers. This will enable a higher maximum speed of 200 km/h (124 mph) compared to the current 90 km/h (56 mph).[30] Construction started in 2019 at a cost of €415 million. The work on both tracks is expected to finish in 2023. Eventually, further improvements as part of the entire €8 billion project will enable a maximum speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) on the line.[31] The upgrade of the line will reduce the journey time between Palermo and Catania to one hour and 45 minutes in 2025, saving one hour.[32]
Turin–Lyon
The
Verona–Innsbruck
The
A new high speed line between Verona and Fortezza is constructed on the Italian side and is about 180 km (110 mi) long. The line will have a design speed of 200–250 km (124.27–155.34 mi) kilometers and will quadruple the current two tracks of the existing low speed line. It has been budgeted at approximately €5 billion and is expected to be completed by the end of the works on the Brenner Base Tunnel.[37]
Lines planned
Salerno–Reggio Calabria
A line from Salerno to Reggio Calabria is currently in the planning stage. It is expected to be operational by 2030.[40] The new line will be 445 km (277 mi) long and cost €22.8 billion. It will reduce the travel time from Rome to Reggio Calabria to three hours and forty minutes. This compares to five hours of current travel time for the existing railway between Salerno and Reggio Calabria, excluding the section between Rome and Salerno.[41]
The project is divided into seven functional lots:[41]
- Salerno-Battipaglia
- Battipaglia-Praia a Mare
- Praja a Mare-Tarsia
- Tarsia-Montalto Uffugo
- Montalto Uffugo-Lamezia Terme
- Lamezia Terme-Gioia Tauro
- Gioia Tauro-Reggio Calabria
See also
- Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane
- Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori
- Railway stations in Italy
- Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
- Trenitalia
- Treno Alta Velocità
- Eurostar Italia
Further reading
- Binari dal Tevere all'Arno. La nuova linea direttissima Roma-Firenze, Roma, Ufficio relazioni aziendali delle Ferrovie dello Stato, 1974
- La Direttissima Roma-Firenze, in Ingegneria ferroviaria, gennaio 1978
- Azienda autonoma Ferrovie dello Stato, Direttissima Roma-Firenze, Roma, Ufficio relazioni aziendali delle Ferrovie dello Stato, 1978
- La Direttissima Roma-Firenze, in Ingegneria ferroviaria, marzo 1991
- Giampaolo Mancini, Donato Carillo, Mauro Papi, Prove a 320 km/h dell'ETR 500 Politensione, in Ingegneria ferroviaria, 56 (2001), n. 8, pp. 513–519
- Bruno Cirillo, Paolo Comastri, Pier Luigi Guida, Antonio Ventimiglia, L'Alta Velocità ferroviaria, Roma, Collegio Ingegneri Ferroviari Italiani, 2009, ISBN 978-88-95634-05-0,
External links
- rfi.it - Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), infrastructure manager
- Railway Technology.com article on Italian High Speed Rail, including NTV
- trenitalia.com - Trenitalia official website and online booking
- italotreno.it - Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV) Italo online booking
References
- ^ a b "Brescia high speed line construction begins". Railway Gazette. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
- ^ "Alta velocità e concorrenza: parte la sfida". il Sole 24 Ore. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
- ^ "Alta velocità, in dieci anni 300 milioni di passeggeri". Il Sole 24 ORE (in Italian). Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "Articolo su Italiaoggi.it".
- ^ "Il mercato del Trasporto Ferroviario A/V - NTV, Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori". www.ntvspa.it. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Alta velocità. Una storia di successi tutti italiani" (PDF). Trenitalia. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- .
- ^ van Leijen, M. (11 February 2018). "High Speed freight train Italy hits the track on 7 November". ProMedia Group. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ van Leijen, M. (22 March 2019). "High-speed line for freight: not just fast, also on time". ProMedia Group. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ Marco Morino: All'Expo con il Frecciarossa 1000 Il Sole 24 Ore, 7 August 2014
- ^ "Italy rejects plans to increase speed to 350km/h". International Railway Journal. 2018-05-31. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
- ^ "RFI fined for discrimination in planning for 360km/h operation". International Railway Journal. 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
- ^ Lucio Cillis: [1] Repubblica Affari e Finanza, 2018-05-28
- ^ Substantial travel time differences between the French TGV (around 80 minutes) and Italian high speed trains (around 50 minutes) (Both non-stop times). This time difference of 30 minutes can only be caused by the TGV taking the slower classic route. The fast regional trains who do not take the high speed take only slightly a bit longer, but they have more stops. There is one TGV that stops in Novara with only marginal extra time. It is not possible to stop in Novara without using the Novara - Milan old classic line. Consulted 2017 and 2016 timetables.
- ^ a b c d e f g h see Fascicoli Circolazione Linee links in [2] for technical data of RFI (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana) lines
- ^ Reuters Italy launches Milan-Bologna high speed train link December 13, 2008
- ^ The table is based on Trenitalia timetables (2011)
- ^ "Due record in prova per il Frecciarossa" (in Italian). Repubblica. 2009-02-04. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
- ^ "Verona-Padua-Venice High Speed/High Capacity Line". Italferr. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ "High speed network grows as Brescia–Treviglio route opens". Railway Gazette. 2016-12-12. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ "Italy builds high-speed railway between Brescia and Verona". Railway Pro. 2017-07-19. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ "Works continue for Brescia Est–Verona high speed rail". Railway Pro. 2020-04-20. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ "Work Starts on First Section of Verona Padua High-Speed Railway". Metro Rail News. 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ "Verona–Vicenza high speed line contract awarded". Railway Gazette. 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ "Terzo Valico - Milano-Venezia e Terzo Valico - RFI". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
- ^ "Terzo Valico - Nodo di Genova".
- ^ a b 2019-07-25T16:11:33+01:00. "New lines go ahead as FS infrastructure spending approved". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Briginshaw, David (29 September 2016). "FS to invest €94bn and double turnover by 2026".
- ^ a b Burroughs, David (3 April 2021). "WEBUILD installs first of three 2500-tonne bridges for Naples – Bari high-speed line". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ "Europe's subway arrives in Sicilia". We Build Value Digital Magazine. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Work commences to double the Bicocca-Catenanuova railway along the Palermo-Catania line". Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Ferrovie: via a lavori sulla Catania-Palermo, treni a 200 all'ora". ilSicilia.it. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ Bellamy, Daniel (2019-07-27). "Italy agrees to resume controversial Turin-Lyon high-speed rail link". euronews. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
- ^ "Italian Senate backs train link with France, widening coalition rift". euronews. 2019-08-07. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
- ^ "SAINT-JEAN-DE-MAURIENNE. Les travaux du Lyon-Turin débutent le 15 janvier". www.ledauphine.com (in French). Retrieved 2020-03-05.
- ^ Le Dauphiné Libéré (2021-07-07). "France / Italie. Lyon-Turin : les marchés du tunnel de base attribués". Ledauphine.com. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
- ^ a b "The Brenner Pass and the Fortezza Verona Line". Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- ^ "Brenner Base Tunnel Excavation Reaches Halfway Point". Tunnel Business Magazine. 2020-02-05. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
- ^ "Governors protest latest delay to Brenner Base Tunnel construction". 27 May 2021.
- ^ "Tav, Salerno-Reggio Calabria pronta entro il 2030". Affaritaliani (in Italian). 27 April 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ a b Messina, Piero (16 October 2021). "Alta velocità Salerno – Reggio Calabria, il progetto costerà 22,8 miliardi". Resto al Sud (in Italian). Retrieved 29 December 2021.