Last update for this page: 02 March 2007.
National Railway System: Ferrovie dello Stato S.p.A. (FS) www.ferroviedellostato.it. Companies in the Gruppo Ferrovia dello Stato include:
Società Trenitalia S.p.A. www.trenitalia.com, generally known just as Trenitalia, has operational and commercial responsibility for passenger and freight train operations.
RFI S.p.A., generally known as Rete Ferroviaria Italiana www.rfi.it/default.asp, is responsible for infrastructure.
TAV S.p.A. http://tav.ferroviedellostato.it is responsible for development of the high speed routes Torino – Padova and Milano – Napoli. TAV indicates Treno Alta Velocita.
Grandi Stazioni SpA, www.grandistazioni.it is responsible for major stations. 40% of the company is owned by Eurostazioni SpA, a joint venture of SNCF, Pirelli, Benneton and Caltagirone.
Language: Italian. Some German is spoken in the Alto Adige (Süd Tirol) region, and some French in the Valle d'Aosta.
Currency: Euro
UIC code: FS 83, Società del Gruppo FNM 64
Timetable: The FS official timetable "In Treno" includes FS services and most private lines. It is in Italian only. FS services, plus most private lines, are included in the "Pozzorario Generale", which is published twice yearly by Pozzo Gros Monti Spa. This is also entirely in Italian, and the timetables have a rather old-fashioned look. Both "In Treno" and "Pozzorario Generale" are available in regional and national versions. "In Treno" is on sale at bookstalls, but not generally at ticket offices.
Timetable Maps: Both “In Treno” and “Pozzo” include route diagrams, which show major stations only. Private railways are shown separately in “In Treno”. There are errors in the “Pozzo” diagram.
Gauge: Standard. Some private lines are narrow gauge.
Electrification: 3kV dc. The Torino – Novara and Roma – Napoli high speed lines are electrified at 25KV 50Hz, as are those still under construction. An incomplete, and apparently abandoned, scheme in Sardegna was to be 25kV 50Hz.
Rule of the road: Left
Private Railways:
Note: services on some of these lines appear in both "In Treno" and "Pozzo", some in one but not the other, and some in neither.
Many private railways operate through services onto FS lines, and there are a few private lines over which FS trains regularly operate.
Tourist lines:
The railway museum at Trieste Campo Marzio www.retecivica.trieste.it/museofer/ occasionally runs historic trains over freight lines in Trieste.
Metro: Catania, Genova, Milano, Napoli, Roma, Torino.
Some Trenitalia suburban services are referred to "Metro" and this may give rise to confusion, particularly in Napoli.
Trams: Genova, Milano, Napoli, Roma, Sassari, Torino, Trieste
Recent and Future Changes:
Due to the mountainous nature of much of Italy, most lines are very scenic. However, the original railways were very slow, due to sharp curves and steep gradients. For much of the 20th century, cut offs and completely new main lines were built to speed services. Foremost among these is the Roma - Firenze direttissima. Unlike high-speed lines in France and Germany, this does not have special signalling and can be used by most trains without modification. High speed lines recently opened between Torino and Novara and between Roma and Napoli are electrified at 25KV 50Hz and used only by a limited train fleet. These will form part of a network of high speed lines from Milano to Torino, Padova and Napoli. There is an ambitious plan for a new line, in a long tunnel under Mont Cenis, to link Torino with Lyon and the French high speed network, but this is many years from realisation.
Many other cut-offs and new lines are under construction, but work may proceed slowly and some projects are suspended periodically. Routes that include sections which have been rebuilt and diverted significantly in recent years include: Verona to Brennero, Gemona del Friuli to Tarvisio, Ventimiglia to Genova, Parma to La Spezia, parts of the Adriatic coast line, Bari to Taranto, Messina to Palermo and the railway into Siracusa from the north.
Recent urban developments have been construction of metros in Torino and Catania, a tram system in Sassari and a new railway, the Passante, in tunnel under the centre of Milano. The Passante runs from Certosa to Porta Vittoria and is used by FNM trains, as well as FS ones, by means of a connection from Nord Bovisa Politecnico. Some trains continue to Pioltello Limito and the project will be fully complete when services can run from Porta Vittoria via a reinstated curve to Milano Rogoredo. Opening of the Passante has been accompanied by a reorganisation of local train services around Milano, including re-introduction of regular trains between Milano S Cristoforo and Milano Lambrate via Porta Romana. Some FNM trains have been extended from Seveso over the link, previously used only for freight, to Camnago-Lentate on the FS main line to Chiasso.
The line from Merano to Malles-Venosta/Mals has been re-opened and the line from Trent to Malé extended to Marilleva. New railways have been built to airports at Milano Malpensa and Palermo. The line from Treviso to Portogruaro Caorle has been electrified and re-opened to passengers. The ATCM line from Sassuolo has been extended to the FS station at Modena and a passenger service to Bologna reinstated on the Vignola branch.
Although many rural lines have a very sparse service, closures have been few in recent years. By far the most significant has been the Sangritana line from S Vito to Castel di Sangro. Numerous lines might be considered at risk of closure due to little use and sparse service, but it seems very difficult to withdraw train services in Italy.
Special notes:
Theft is a particular problem at main stations. Luggage should be closely watched at all times and precautions taken against pickpockets. Some thieves are very young and many operate in groups. A common technique is to create a distraction, such as engaging a traveller in conversation, to draw attention from robbery by accomplices. Crime can also be a problem on overnight trains, which may also be very crowded. It is sensible to book a couchette, at modest cost, as these provide more space and greater security.
Railway police will be found at all but local stations. They, or other Trenitalia staff, may raise objections to photography or waiting for trains on platforms, rather than in waiting rooms, and seem particularly keen to prevent anyone crossing the tracks where a subway ("sottopassagio") is provided. At some main stations access to platforms is confined to those with travel tickets, and tickets are sometimes checked at platform barriers.
Tickets issued in Italy must be validated before use by stamping them in yellow machines found at stations. This applies to reservation, as well as travel tickets. Passengers holding international return tickets issued in Italy are required to have them stamped by the train conductor upon re-entering the country. Tickets may be used any time up to two months from date of sale, but are valid for a much shorter period from time of stamping. Those for journeys less than 200 km are valid for 6 hours from the time of stamping; those for 200 km or more for 24 hours.
Departure information at stations, especially in the South, can be sparse and incorrect.
Train ferries between Civitavecchia and Golfo Aranci and between Villa S Giovanni and Messina connect the mainland system with railways on the islands of Sardegna and Sicilia respectively. The Sardegna train ferry is freight only, though foot passengers are carried. Passenger trains are conveyed by ferry to and from Sicilia.
The level of fare charged depends on the type of train. Standard fares are charged for travel on Regionale, Metropolitano, Interregionale, Diretto and Espresso trains. A supplement or a higher fare is payable for use of most other trains and in many cases a reservation is required. If a supplement or difference in fare is paid on the train, there is an additional charge. An increasing number of InterCity trains are being reclassified InterCity plus and on these reservation is stated to be obligatory. There are a few trains, designated TrenOK, which offer bargain fares but need to be booked by internet at www.trenok.com. On Fridays and Sundays and at certain holiday periods (such as Christmas and Easter) Eurostar Italia trains may be fully booked in advance. On other days certain carriages are designated for passengers without reservations. Notices internally and externally, in English as well as Italian, indicate which these are.
At places served by private railways and Trenitalia interchange arrangements vary considerably. In certain cases there is significant integration and co-ordination of operations, but at some places connections seem unplanned and merely by chance, so trains may not wait for the other operator’s late running service. Private railways may use the FS station, but often have their own platforms and booking office (often private railway tickets are obtained from the station bar or café). Their services may not be listed on the Trenitalia arrivals and departures posters. There are entirely separate stations at a few places. Through tickets are usually available between private railways and Trenitalia, but some private railways do not issue return tickets for local journeys. Services operated by Ferrovie del Sud Est may vary from the published timetable, particularly south of Lecce. Trains depart at the advertised times, but passengers may be required to change trains at junctions where a through service is shown and, conversely, some connections may work as through trains.
Strikes (scioperi) are quite common, but a guaranteed minimum service is advertised to operate on such occasions. Trenitalia trains supposed to run on strike days are listed in “In Treno” and details are sometimes posted at stations.
The Italian for "motor coach" is "pullman", so any reference to travel by pullman is to a trip by road. Although "carrozza" usually means a railway carriage, a journey advertised to be by carrozza (rather than by train) will use a horse-drawn road vehicle.
Maps:
The compilers are not aware of any publicly available map of railways in Italy, apart from the UK-published European Rail Atlas, now out of print. In compensation for this the Touring Club Italiano's extremely attractive 1:200.000 sheet maps and atlases depict railways to a very high standard. They are generally accurate, though some railways that have closed or are still under construction appear as if open. Single and multiple-track railways are distinguished. The three-volume road atlas includes 1:80.000 enlargements of the major urban areas, on which railways are depicted well. Touring Club Italiano publications are not sold at many stations, but can be obtained from good bookshops in Italy (or outlets such as Stanfords in London). Official route diagrams, used to indicate rolling stock route clearance, can be found at www.cesifer.it:80/Mappe/mappe_circolabilita'.html. Unofficial diagrams of railways in certain towns and cities are published on line at www.ferrovie.it/fol/rdrloc.php3?id=0.
Last complete update 2 March 2007.
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