The Terni–Sulmona railway is a regional
railway line
Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...
in central
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, managed by
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) is the Italian railway infrastructure manager, subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), a state-owned holding company. RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it provides signalling, maintenance and other se ...
. It links three regions,
Umbria
it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, ...
,
Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
and
Abruzzo, and three
provincial capitals
A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the ...
:
Terni
Terni ( , ; lat, Interamna (Nahars)) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria in central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera river. It is ...
,
Rieti and
L'Aquila
L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
. Together with the
Sulmona–Isernia railway it forms a north–south corridor through the
Apennines in central Italy. Its route is the result of two unfinished railways that had to meet in Rieti: the
Pescara
Pescara (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label= Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 119,217 (2018) residents (and approxim ...
–L'Aquila–
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
line, and the Terni–
Avezzano–
Roccasecca
Roccasecca is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Frosinone, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is the birthplace of Thomas Aquinas.
History
The history of Roccasecca is tightly bound to its strategic position, a "dry '' rocca''" at ...
line.
History
After the
Italian unification and the
widespread start of railway constructions, many talks started about how to link the
Abruzzo region to its new capital,
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. It was decided that the railway would start from
Pescara
Pescara (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label= Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 119,217 (2018) residents (and approxim ...
, reach
Sulmona
Sulmona ( nap, label= Abruzzese, Sulmóne; la, Sulmo; grc, Σουλμῶν, Soulmôn) is a city and ''comune'' of the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. It is located in the Valle Peligna, a plain once occupied by a lake that disappeared in ...
and
L'Aquila
L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
, then cross the
Apennine Mountains at the Sella di Corno pass and then reach
Rieti, where the line had to continue towards Rome. Rieti also should have been the starting point of a branch to
Avezzano, that – together with the
Avezzano–Roccasecca railway – would have linked Abruzzo with the
railway to Naples, which was Abruzzo's capital under the
Kingdom of Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( it, Regno delle Due Sicilie) was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1860. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and size in Italy before Italian unification, comprising Sicily and all ...
.
However the unsolved
Roman question threatened to interrupt railway service between the then-capital
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
and the then-biggest city
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, and to protect its military and strategic interests the Italian government urged the construction of an alternative route from Florence to Naples that didn't enter the
Papal States
The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...
, which could be created with a new railway between
Terni
Terni ( , ; lat, Interamna (Nahars)) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria in central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera river. It is ...
and
Roccasecca
Roccasecca is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Frosinone, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is the birthplace of Thomas Aquinas.
History
The history of Roccasecca is tightly bound to its strategic position, a "dry '' rocca''" at ...
, passing through Rieti and Avezzano. So it was decided that the
Pescara
Pescara (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label= Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 119,217 (2018) residents (and approxim ...
–Rieti line should have continued towards Terni, and not towards Rome as per initial project.
Construction was started in 1871 by
Società per le Strade Ferrate Meridionali
The Società per le Strade Ferrate Meridionali ( Italian: ''Company for the Southern Railways'', ''SFM'') was an Italian railway company established in 1862. In 1885 it took the control of the so-called "Rete Adriatica" (''Adriatic Network'', '' ...
in Pescara; by 1873 the line was completed to
Sulmona
Sulmona ( nap, label= Abruzzese, Sulmóne; la, Sulmo; grc, Σουλμῶν, Soulmôn) is a city and ''comune'' of the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. It is located in the Valle Peligna, a plain once occupied by a lake that disappeared in ...
and by 1875 it was completed to L'Aquila. Then the work stopped because of the building company's perplexity: even if it was possible to reach Rome from Terni, via the
Ancona–Orte railway, Strade Ferrate Meridionali thought that a railway from Terni to Rieti would be less useful for the needs of the company and of
Abruzzese people than a railway from Rome to Rieti.
![ALN556 Lorenzo Chiavelli](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/ALN556_Lorenzo_Chiavelli.jpg)
An agreement was reached in 1879, when Public Works Ministry Baccarini granted Strade Ferrate Meridionali to build another railway to satisfy the need of connecting Abruzzo to Rome (the
Rome-Sulmona railway) but tied the company to finish the former line till Terni. Work restarted and the line was soon completed, even if the most mountainous region of the track was involved (the
Apennine Mountains that divide Abruzzo and
Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
, and the drop of altitude near the
Marmore falls
The Cascata delle Marmore () or Marmore Falls is a man-made waterfall created by the ancient Romans. Its total height is 165 m (541 feet), making it the tallest man-made waterfall in the world.
It is located 7.7 km from Terni, a pro ...
). The Pescara-Sulmona-Terni line opened on October 30, 1883.
The line's importance as the primary means of transport between Abruzzo and Rome, however, lasted five years: in 1888, the
Rome-Sulmona railway was opened and all trains from Abruzzo's
Adriatic shore to Rome were diverted on the newer, shorter line. As most trains starting from
Sulmona
Sulmona ( nap, label= Abruzzese, Sulmóne; la, Sulmo; grc, Σουλμῶν, Soulmôn) is a city and ''comune'' of the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. It is located in the Valle Peligna, a plain once occupied by a lake that disappeared in ...
were travelling from
Pescara
Pescara (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label= Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 119,217 (2018) residents (and approxim ...
to Rome, except for some going to
L'Aquila
L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
and Terni, the first part of the original Pescara–Terni line was officially detached and merged with the newer Rome-Sulmona; so the Roma-Sulmona line became the Roma-Sulmona-Pescara line, while the Pescara-Sulmona-Terni line became the Sulmona-Terni line.
At the start of 20th century the
Avezzano–Roccasecca railway was built, but with the
capture of Rome the government's strategic purposes ceased, so the Rieti–Avezzano railway was never built and the Terni–Roccasecca route remained unfinished.
![11](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/11.11.96_L%E2%80%99Aquila_ALn_668.3307_%2814535967724%29.jpg)
On October 3, 1936, a severe accident happened near
Contigliano
Contigliano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the Italian region Latium, located about northeast of Rome and about west of Rieti.
Contigliano borders the following municipalities: Casperia, Colli sul Velino, Cottanel ...
, in which two trains collided head-on, resulting in several deaths and many injured, among which the entire
L'Aquila Calcio football team. Many players were killed and most couldn't play football again; the team was relegated and never recovered its lost position.
In the 1930s steam locomotives were dismissed and faster ALn 56 and ALn 556
diesel multiple units
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...
(DMU) were introduced; in the 1980s these were replaced with
ALn 668 3300 series.
In 1905 all Italian railways were nationalized and
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane S.p.A. ( "Italian Railways of the State"; previously only Ferrovie dello Stato, hence the abbreviation FS) is Italy's national state-owned railway holding company that manages transport, infrastructure, real estat ...
took control of the Terni–Sulmona railway. In 2008
Trenitalia
Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. A subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, itself owned by the Italian government, the company was established in 2000 following a European Union directive on the deregulation of rail tra ...
, the passenger division of Ferrovie dello Stato, put out passenger services on the Terni–L'Aquila route entrusting
Ferrovia Centrale Umbra for the service (now
Umbria Mobilità, part of the
Busitalia group). Ferrovia Centrale Umbra operates its services using
FCU ALn 776 diesel multiple units;
Trenitalia
Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. A subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, itself owned by the Italian government, the company was established in 2000 following a European Union directive on the deregulation of rail tra ...
still operates the L'Aquila–Sulmona route, and in 2016 it introduced the new
Pesa Atribo "Swing" DMUs replacing ALn 668s.
Features
![Altimetria ferrovia Terni-Sulmona con pendenze](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Altimetria_ferrovia_Terni-Sulmona_con_pendenze.png)
The railway line is graded by
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) is the Italian railway infrastructure manager, subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), a state-owned holding company. RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it provides signalling, maintenance and other se ...
as a secondary, low-traffic line.
It is a
single-track railway
A single-track railway is a railway where trains traveling in both directions share the same track. Single track is usually found on lesser-used rail lines, often branch lines, where the level of traffic is not high enough to justify the co ...
for its entire extension, and it is not electrified, so it is run with
diesel multiple units
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...
: currently
FCU ALn 776 (on the Terni-L'Aquila route) and
Pesa Atribo "Swing" (on the L'Aquila-Sulmona route).
The line features some of the most steep climbs of the
standard gauge,
non-rack Italian rail system: from the
Antrodoco-
Borgo Velino
Borgo Velino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the region Latium, Italy. It is located about northeast of Rome and about east of the town Rieti. It has an area of , and as of 31 December 2010 it had a population of 1,004. ...
station until the
Sassa-
Tornimparte
Tornimparte is a ''comune'' and town in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of central-southern Italy.
Geography
Tornimparte is subdivided into 23 wards (frazioni): Castiglione, Capo La Villa, Villagrande, Capolitto, Case Tirante, Pi ...
station, where the line crosses the
Apennine Mountains that divide
Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
from
Abruzzo, it has a steepness of 35‰; the highest point of the line is the Sella di Corno railway station, at 989.28 metres on the sea level. From the
Terni station until the
Marmore station the line climbs the drop of altitude near the
Marmore falls
The Cascata delle Marmore () or Marmore Falls is a man-made waterfall created by the ancient Romans. Its total height is 165 m (541 feet), making it the tallest man-made waterfall in the world.
It is located 7.7 km from Terni, a pro ...
with a steepness of 30‰.
![Gola di S Venanzio 04 (RaBoe)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Gola_di_S_Venanzio_04_%28RaBoe%29.jpg)
Maximum allowed speeds vary for each stretch of the line; the highest is , which is reached in the straight and flat stretch between
Contigliano
Contigliano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the Italian region Latium, located about northeast of Rome and about west of Rieti.
Contigliano borders the following municipalities: Casperia, Colli sul Velino, Cottanel ...
and
Marmore, while the lowest is , which is reached in the winding trait between
Antrodoco and
Rocca di Fondi, at the start of the Apennine pass.
Signalling
In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The ''IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing'' ...
on the line is operated by
Centralized traffic control
Centralized traffic control (CTC) is a form of railway signalling that originated in North America. CTC consolidates train routing decisions that were previously carried out by local signal operators or the train crews themselves. The system cons ...
while safety is assured by
Sistema Supporto Condotta
The Sistema Supporto Condotta (''Drive Aid System''), or SSC is a railway safety system used by Italian railway operator Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane S.p.A. ( "Italian Railways of the State"; previously only Ferrovie dell ...
and by
automatic axle-counting block system;
installation of these systems took place from 1989 to 1993.
The line has 20 stations, leaving
stops out:
*
Terni railway station
Terni railway station ( it, Stazione di Terni) serves the town and ''comune'' of Terni, in the region of Umbria, central Italy. Opened in 1866, it forms part of the Ancona–Orte railway, and is also a junction station for two secondary lines, ...
** ''Terni Cospea'' (stop)
** ''
Stroncone'' (stop)
*
Marmore
** ''
Piediluco'' (closed station)
** ''
Labro-
Moggio'' (stop)
*
Greccio
Greccio is an old hilltown and ''comune'' of the province of Rieti in the Italian region of Lazio, overhanging the Rieti valley on a spur of the Monti Sabini, a sub-range of the Apennines, about by road northwest of Rieti, the nearest large to ...
** ''
Terria'' (stop)
*
Contigliano
Contigliano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the Italian region Latium, located about northeast of Rome and about west of Rieti.
Contigliano borders the following municipalities: Casperia, Colli sul Velino, Cottanel ...
** ''
Poggio Fidoni'' (stop)
*
Rieti railway station
Rieti railway station ( it, Stazione di Rieti) serves the city and ''comune'' of Rieti, in the Regions of Italy, region of Lazio, central Italy. Opened in 1883, it is part of the Terni–Sulmona railway.
Location
Rieti railway station is locat ...
*
Cittaducale
Cittaducale (locally ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the Italian region Lazio, located about northeast of Rome and about southeast of Rieti. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 6,799 and an area of . It was ...
** ''
Cotilia'' (stop)
** ''
Sorgenti del Peschiera'' (stop)
*
Castel Sant'Angelo
** ''
Canetra'' (stop)
*
Antrodoco-
Borgo Velino
Borgo Velino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the region Latium, Italy. It is located about northeast of Rome and about east of the town Rieti. It has an area of , and as of 31 December 2010 it had a population of 1,004. ...
** ''
Antrodoco Centro'' (stop)
*
Rocca di Fondi
*
Rocca di Corno
*
Sella di Corno
** ''
Vigliano d'Abruzzo'' (stop)
** ''
Scoppito'' (stop)
*
Sassa-
Tornimparte
Tornimparte is a ''comune'' and town in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of central-southern Italy.
Geography
Tornimparte is subdivided into 23 wards (frazioni): Castiglione, Capo La Villa, Villagrande, Capolitto, Case Tirante, Pi ...
*
L'Aquila railway station
*
Paganica
Paganica is a hillside town in the province of L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy. located at 669 meters above sea level, at the foot of the Gran Sasso d'Italia, about 7 kilometers east of the historic center, along the state road ...
** ''
San Gregorio'' (stop)
** ''
Fossa'' (stop)
*
San Demetrio ne' Vestini
San Demetrio ne'Vestini is a ''comune'' and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy
In the 18th century, San Demetrio ne' Vestini was ruled by Duke Filippo Arcamone. His son Vincenzo later became the last duke of the town ...
** ''
Villa Sant'Angelo
Villa Sant'Angelo is a ''comune'' and town in the province of L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region of Italy, which lies in the Aterno River valley near the convergence of the Sirente and the Gran Sasso mountain ranges. Many of the municipal functions ...
'' (stop)
*
Fagnano-
Campana
Campana (Italian and Spanish for "bell") may refer to:
Places
* Campana Partido, Argentina, a ''partido'' (administrative subdivision) in Buenos Aires Province
** Campana, Buenos Aires Province, a city in Campana Partido
* Campana Island, Capit ...
** ''
Fontecchio'' (stop)
** ''
Tione degli Abruzzi Tione degli Abruzzi ( Abruzzese: ') is a ''comune'' in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo, region of Italy.
Transport
Tione degli Abruzzi has a stop on the Terni–Sulmona railway, with trains to L'Aquila and Sulmona
Sulmona ( nap, label= ...
'' (stop)
*
Beffi
** ''
Acciano'' (stop)
*
Molina-
Castelvecchio
*
Raiano railway station
Raiano is a railway station in Raiano, Italy. The station is located on the Terni–Sulmona railway. The train services are operated by Trenitalia
Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. A subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italian ...
** ''
Pratola Peligna Superiore railway station'' (stop)
*
Sulmona railway station
References
Notes
Footnotes
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
See also
*
List of railway lines in Italy
This is a list of all railway lines in Italy.
Active lines
Managed by Ferrovie dello Stato
High–speed lines
* Turin–Milan
* Milan–Verona (under construction)
* Verona–Venice (under construction)
* Venice–Trieste (planning p ...
*
List of railway stations in Umbria
This is the list of the railway stations in Umbria owned by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, a branch of the Italian state company Ferrovie dello Stato.
List
See also
*Railway stations in Italy
*Ferrovie dello Stato
*Rail transport in Italy
* High-sp ...
*
List of railway stations in Lazio
This is the list of the railway stations in Lazio owned by:
* Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, a branch of the Italian state company Ferrovie dello Stato;
* ATAC SpA.
RFI stations
ATAC stations
See also
*Railway stations in Italy
*Ferrovie dell ...
*
List of railway stations in Abruzzo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Terni-Sulmona railway
Railway lines in Umbria
Railway lines in Lazio
Railway lines in Abruzzo
Railway lines opened in 1883