Milan–Asso railway
Milan–Asso railway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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heavy rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Services | S2, S4, R16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | Trenord | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | from 1879 to 1922 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 50 km (31 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of tracks | 4 or 3 or 2 or 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | 3,000 V DC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating speed | 90 km/h (56 mph) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Highest elevation | 388 m (1,273 ft) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Milan–Asso railway is a regional
The management of the railway and of the station is performed by
The regional and suburban passenger service is provided by Trenord Srl which works under a service contract negotiated with Regione Lombardia for period 2009–2020.
History
Section | Inauguration |
---|---|
Milan-Paderno Dugnano | July 16, 1879 |
Paderno Dugnano- Bovisio Masciago
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August 14, 1879 |
Bovisio Masciago-Seveso | September 27, 1879 |
Seveso-Mariano Comense | October 18, 1879 |
Mariano Comense-Inverigo | November 22, 1879 |
Inverigo-Erba | December 31, 1879 |
Seveso-Camnago | June 20, 1880 |
Erba-Canzo/Asso | June 16, 1922 |
Project and construction
In 1877, the Belgian Albert Vaucamp, who obtained the grant for
The convention was stipulated on May 18, 1877 and approved with a legislative act on June 15 of the same year. By Regio Decreto of March 7, 1878 was approved the transfer of the grant to the Società Anonima Delle Ferrovie Milano-Saronno E Milano-Erba which in 1883 become Società Anonima Delle Ferrovie Nord Milano.
Beginning of the service
The railway line was officially inaugurated on December 31, 1879, although in the previous months many sections were opened to the traffic as they were completed and tested. On July 16 the section
The section Milan Cadorna-Milan Bovisa, being in common with the railway Milan-Saronno, was provided of two
In 1888, in collaboration with the Società Italiana per le strade ferrate meridionali, Ferrovie Nord Milano built a new station in Merone, named Merone-Ponte Nuovo station, in order to be used by Como–Lecco railway. Consequently, the old Merone station was abandoned.
First part of twentieth century: strengthening of infrastructure
Despite the huge traffic registered since its opening, Milano–Erba stayed on a single rail so many years. In 1909, the Milanese railway society presented a request in order to double the rails between
Before the double rails, the extension of the line to
By the Regio Decreto on August 22, 1925, n. 1577, were approved the realization of an electrical supply on Milano–Saronno and Milano–Meda; the first studies of this project were in 1916. The system used by the Milanese society was the one of direct current with 3000 volts. The works about the implementation of the spars and the catenary were finished in autumn 1928, but the service with the new traction was activated later, in May 1929. Both the lines were fed by the electrical Novate Milanese substation.
The electrification project allowed Ferrovie Nord Milano to develop its social lines. There was the realization of the double Bovisa-Seveso, the stops in Affori and Cesano Maderno were converted in stations, the yard Librera was extended and other yards were built: Simonetta, Bovisasca and another one in Affori.
The section
Second part of twentieth century and today
In the following years, the line was interested by many plans about the renewal of the materials and railway signalling by the railway Milanese society. In 1955 the ramification Seveso-Camnago was finally closed to the passengers transport. At the beginning an autobus substituted this kind of service 1936 until the end of the
Because of the Protocollo di intesa per la definizione degli interventi a completamento e adeguamento del sistema di trasporto su ferro per l'area della Brianza some requalification works are provided on Milan-Asso in order to improve the security and the offer of the transport. Interventions are about the elimination of level crossings, the modernization of some stations on the line, the realization of the third rail between Milan Affori and Varedo and the double of the section between Seveso and Mariano Comense.
In 2011 the new station of Milan Affori was opened. It is situated further north than the previous structure and it is built in a position which allows an interchange with the Milan Metro Line 3.
Features
Armament and kind of traction
The line has a track gauge of ordinary type 1435 mm long. The electrical traction is 3000 Volt with direct current. In the common section with Milano-Saronno railway, between Milan Cadorna and Milan Bovisa, the line has four rails. From Bovisa to Affori there are three rails, two of them are used by regional trains (which use a direct service) and one by suburban ones. The section Affori-Seveso has double rails. From Seveso to Canzo-Asso there's only one rail. The ramification from Seveso to Camnago has also one rail.
Operation system
The traffic on the section Seveso-Asso is ruled by the Dirigente Centrale Operativo (DCO) and its office is at Seveso railway station. Since August 22, 2008, the DCO also rules the section Bovisa-Seveso. However stations are attended by Rail Agents who check crossings and make ticket service.
Route
The railway present a trend South/North, crossing all the Brianza. Starting from Milan Bovisa, with a sinuous layout, with reduced radius turns, it cross suburbs Affori. This is the last station where regional trains stop until Cesano Maderno. Some meters later, there is Bruzzano station, then a turn towards Cormano-Cusano Milanino station.
Then the line directs towards Paderno Dugnano, which station is put in the city center, then it turns another time on the right in order to reach Palazzolo Milanese district, later Varedo, where the railway treaded a new turn on the left in order to serve Bovisio Masciago station. There a long straight leads trains to Cesano Maderno and Seveso, station where double rails end. Here there's the ramification in order to reach Camnago.
But the most of trains, turning clearly on the right, have to go towards Meda, then they follow, with a very sinuous track and in some ways similar to a tramway towards Cabiate and Mariano Comense, station provided by a closed rail and two normal rails.
From Mariano starts the greenest track of the line which undertakes a long straight until Carugo-Giussano and, after a detected turn, Arosio, which station stay in front of the Parish Church.
From Arosio starts one of the most beautiful section of the Italian railways. Trains with a full of curves cross a hilly area, in order to reach Inverigo station, panoramic place defined "Brianza's balcony", where it is possible enjoy about a very beautiful landscape.
Other curves in Brianza and then the train reach Lambrugo-Lurago d'Erba station.
From here convoys cross a wood where it is possible sight Baggero oasis, a wet area created by an old cement marl cave of the near cement in Merone, visible from the following namesake station.
Merone, in addition to the cement, presents a particularity: it is a crossing station with the RFI line Como – Lecco.
From here trains reach Erba; Erba railway station ubication was transferred from Corso XXV Aprile to Via Dante, remaining in Incino area.
From Erba starts the last section, which seems typical of a mountain line. After a corner, trains cross Lambro river in order to reach the closed Lezza-Carpesino station, which take the name from the districts where it is situated. Then by a rilevato they go to Pontelambro and the namesake station.
Trains cross Caslino d'Erba's tunnel, the longest FerrovieNord tunnel and subsequently arrive to Caslino station, one of the coldest area in Lombardia.
From Caslino d'Erba trains go across a steep ramp, with the 26 per 1000 inclination, in order to reach a rilevato where convoys go until the first Canzo station.
At the end, after having crossed Grimello tunnel, trains reach Canzo-Asso terminal, on Canzo territory, near Lambro river which, in correspondence with the branch waterfall Vallategna, divide two municipalities and, above all, it separate Brianza from Vallassina.
Traffic
Since December 12, 2004 along this railway line there are two services:
- Suburban service, constituted by Milan suburban railway service.
- Regional service.
Suburban services stop at all the stations in the Milan metropolitan area and settle at Mariano Comense about S2 line and at Camnago-Lentate, on the near Milan-Chiasso, about S4 line.
Because of lacks of infrastructures and works in progress along the line, services are not in the true regime according to theorical criterion which define Lombard suburban and regional railway service features. The future implementation should provide one S2 and S4 run every half hour and the consequent division between the suburban and regional services, with the speeding of the regional one, which today must stop in some stations of suburban contest.
The reliability index average related to 2008 settle on about 4,62% and it is resulted to be the tallest between LeNord lines (Milan-Novara 2,71%, Milan-Varese-Laveno 1,96% and Milan-Como 1,78%).