The Rome–Cassino–Naples railway is a railway in Italy, the first of the three existing railway lines between the capitals of

Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil (Old Latium) on whic ...

and

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

to be opened when it was completed by the Società per le strade ferrate romane in 1863. The line is now fully electrified at 3 kV DC. It is now mainly used by regional trains, some trains to and from the

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

coast and a few night trains. The Rome–Naples high-speed railway line (which was largely opened on 19 December 2005) generally follows the same route.

History

The first part of the line to be opened was at the southern end, built by the ''Royal Neapolitan Railway Company'' and was opened between Naples, Cancello and

Caserta Caserta ( ; ) is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. An important agricultural, commercial, and industrial ''comune'' and city, Caserta is located 36 kilometres north of Naples on the edge of the Campanian p ...

on 20 December 1843 and was the second line opened in the

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies () was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1861 under the control of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, Bourbons. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by popula ...

after the Naples–Portici line opened in 1839. It operated from a terminal at Napoli Porta Nolana, now used by the Circumvesuviana Railway. This line was extended to

Capua Capua ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, located on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. History Ancient era The name of Capua comes from the Etruscan ''Capeva''. The ...

on 26 May 1844. A branch line was opened from Cancello to

Nola Nola is a town and a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, southern Italy. It lies on the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines. It is traditionally credited as the diocese that introduced bells to Christian worship. ...

in 1846 and extended to Sarno in 1856. The northern part of the line was opened between a station at Porta Maggiore (southwest of the modern Termini station) and

Ciampino Ciampino () is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio, Italy. It was a ''frazione'' of Marino, Italy, Marino until 1974, when it became a ''comune''; it obtained the city () status (being therefore officially known as Cit ...

on 14 July 1856 as part of the Rome–Frascati line by the ''Società Pio Latina'' ("Latin Pius Railway"), a French company named in honour of

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

, who had overturned the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

's previous opposition to innovations such as railways in the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...

. This line was extended to the new Roma Termini station on 22 October 1863. In 1860 the ''Società Pio Latina'' and the ''Società Pio Centrale''—the builder of the

Rome–Civitavecchia railway The Rome–Civitavecchia railway line is one of the oldest railways in Italy, constructed in what was then the Papal States, opening in 1859 and is 72.6 km long. The line now forms part of the Pisa–Livorno–Rome railway, Pisa–Rome line. ...

, opened in 1859—combined to form the Società per le strade ferrate romane ("Roman Railway Company"), which then absorbed the ''Royal Neapolitan Railway Company''. It opened an section from Roma Termini to

Ceprano Ceprano (Central-Northern Latian dialect: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, in the Valle Latina, part of the Lazio region of Central Italy. It is south of Rome and about north of Naples. In 1994, the Ceprano Man, a 450,000 year o ...

– Falvaterra (including the Porta Maggiore–Ciampino section) on 1 December 1862. The Capua– Tora– Presenzano section had been opened on 14 October 1861 and the final section between Ceprano–Falvaterra and Tora–Presenzano was opened on 25 February 1863.

Branches and connections

Frascati Frascati () is a city and in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is located south-east of Rome, on the Alban Hills close to the ancient city of Tusculum. Frascati is closely associated with science, ...

Albano Laziale Albano Laziale (;; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, on the Alban Hills, in the Italian region of Lazio. Rome is distant. It is bounded by other communes of Castel Gandolfo, Rocca di Papa, Ariccia and ...

and

Velletri Velletri (; ; ) is an Italian ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, approximately 40 km to the southeast of the city centre, located in the Alban Hills, in the region of Lazio, central Italy. Neighbouring communes are Rocca di Papa, Lar ...

* Roccasecca to

Avezzano Avezzano ( ; ) is a city and comune in the Abruzzo region, province of L'Aquila, Italy. It is the second most populous municipality in the province and the sixth in the region. It is the main commercial, industrial and agricultural centre of the ...

( Roccasecca–Avezzano line) * Rocca d'Evandro to

Isernia Isernia () is a town and ''comune'' in the southern Italian region of Molise, and the capital of the province of Isernia. Geography Situated on a rocky crest rising from between the Carpino and the Sordo rivers, the plan of Isernia still refl ...

and

Campobasso Campobasso (, ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in southern Italy, the capital of the region of Molise and of the province of Campobasso. It is located in the high basin of the Biferno river, surrounded by Sannio and Matese mountains. Campobas ...

( Rocca d'Evandro–Venafro line ) * Vairano- Caianello to

and

( Termoli–Campobasso–Carpinone–Isernia–Vairano line) * Sparanise to

Gaeta Gaeta (; ; Southern Latian dialect, Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a seaside resort in the province of Latina in Lazio, Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples. The city has played ...

( Sparanise–Gaeta line)—currently suspended *

Santa Maria Capua Vetere Santa Maria Capua Vetere is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, in southern Italy. Though it is not connected with the ''Civitas Capuana'', the town is a medieval place and its proximity to the Roman amphit ...

to Piedimonte Matese *

Benevento Benevento ( ; , ; ) is a city and (municipality) of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the Sabato (r ...

and

Aversa Aversa () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Caserta in Campania, southern Italy, about 24 km north of Naples. It is the centre of an agricultural district, the ''Agro Aversano'', producing wine and cheese (famous for the typical dome ...

* Cancello to

Salerno Salerno (, ; ; ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Campania, southwestern Italy, and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after Naples. It is located ...

and Torre Annunziata

History

Branches and connections

Notes

See also