The Principe–Granarolo rack railway ( it, Ferrovia Principe-Granarolo) is a
rack railway
A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with ...
in the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
city of Genoa that connects ''via del Lagaccio'', near the
Genoa Piazza Principe railway station, to the . The line is sometimes erroneously described as a
funicular
A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...
and listed alongside the city's
Zecca–Righi funicular
The Zecca–Righi funicular ( it, Funicolare Zecca–Righi) is a funicular railway in the Italian city of Genoa connecting the ''Largo della Zecca'', on the edge of the historic city centre, to several stations on the slope of the Righi hill ...
, the
Sant'Anna funicular
The Sant'Anna funicular ( it, Funicolare Sant'Anna) is a funicular railway in the Italian city of Genoa connecting the ''Piazza Portello'', on the edge of the historic city centre, to the ''Corso Magenta''. The line is one of several true funic ...
and the
Quezzi funicular
The Quezzi elevator ( it, Ascensore inclinato di Quezzi) is a public inclined elevator with variable slope in the Quezzi quarter of Genoa, Italy. The elevator opened in May 2015 and connects the lower terminus at ''Via Pinetti'' to the terminus a ...
. The line is managed by
AMT Genova
The ''AMT Genova'', formally known as the ''Azienda Mobilità e Trasporti'' and formerly as the ''Azienda Municipalizzata Trasporti'', is a joint stock company that holds the concession for public transport in the Italian city of Genoa.
Hist ...
, which manages the city's public transport.
History
Work on the Principe–Granarolo rack railway started in 1898, and operation commenced in 1901. The line's unusual track gauge and passing loop arrangement, both common in funiculars but rare elsewhere, have suggested to some that the line may have started life as a funicular and been converted to rack operation; however the line's owners have dismissed this theory.
[
In 2002, car 2 was sent away for an overhaul, but the bankruptcy of the original contractor and the involvement of a replacement in an alleged bribery scandal meant that the overhaul was not completed and the car returned to the line until March 2019. The overhaul included the replacement of the car floor, lighting, safety systems, electric drive, air conditioning and a new driver's seat. Between 2002 and 2019, service was provided by car 1 operating alone. AMT now plans to use the rebuilt car to double the service frequency to every 15 minutes.]
Operation
The Principe–Granarolo rack railway is in length, and overcomes a height difference of with a maximum gradient of 21.4%. It has a track gauge of , uses the Riggenbach rack system
A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with ...
and is electrified at 550 V DC. The single central passing loop uses fixed points, and the two cars have double-flanged wheels on one side and unflanged wheels on the other side, thus ensuring that each car keeps to its own side in the loop.[
The line serves 9 stops, including the two terminals, and currently operates an irregular timetable, with cars departing each terminus between every 30 and 40 minutes.]
References
External links
*
Page at www.amt.genova.it, the metropolitan transport website Brochure on all lifts, funicular & rack railways in Genoa
Rack railways in Italy
Railway lines in Liguria
Transport in Genoa
1200 mm gauge railways in Italy
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