Rome–Naples high-speed railway

A straight section line of the line near Anagni

Legend Roma Termini to Pisa To Florence (high-speed and traditional) To Naples via Formia To Pescara 29.9 North entrance to Alban Hills Tunnel (6.625 m) To Naples via Cassino 36.5 South entrance to Alban Hills Tunnel 63.4 Frosinone North junction 143.6 Cassino South junction 178.0 Caserta North junction 183.9 Volturno viaduct (1.632 m) 196.6 Gricignano junction To Caserta from Rome via Formia Aversa Autostrada A1 Napoli Afragola Naples–Salerno high-speed line From Rome via Cassino Naples–Salerno high-speed line Autostrada A1 To Salerno Napoli Centrale

The Rome–Naples high-speed railway line is a link in the Italian high-speed rail network. It opened from Roma Termini to Gricignano di Aversa on 19 December 2005. The final 25 km from Gricignano to Napoli Centrale opened on 13 December 2009. When the line is completed trains will take 1 hour and 10 minutes between the two cities. The line is part of Corridor 1 of the European Union's Trans-European high-speed rail network, which connects Berlin and Palermo.

Construction of the line began in 1994. Between 2004 and 2005 a series of tests was carried out prior to the line being opened for commercial operations, to obtain approval for the line to be regularly operated at up to 300 km/h. During these tests an ETR 500 train achieved a speed of 347 km/h. These speeds were made possible by the line's 25 kV AC railway electrification system (rather than the traditional Italian use of 3 kV DC), and the new signaling, control and train protection system provided by the European Rail Traffic Management System/European Train Control System (ETCS). It was the first railway line in Italy to be electrified at 25 kV AC at 50 Hz and the first in the world to use ETCS Level 2 in normal rail operations.

The first 193 km of the line was brought into service on 19 December 2005. The new line begins near Roma Prenestina station (4.5 km from Roma Termini) and ends at Gricignano di Aversa, where a connecting line leads to the Rome-Naples via Formia line, which is used for the last 25 km to reach Napoli Centrale station. The line features three other interconnections that link with the historical Rome-Naples via Cassino line, near Anagni, Cassino and Caserta.

On 13 December 2009, work was completed on the last 18 km line of the line between Gricignano and Napoli Centrale, which may eventually include a new station at Napoli Afragola to provide interchange with the Circumvesuviana line. The station was due to be open in 2009 when the construction contract was first awarded, but tenders have been called again and construction is on hold.^[1] In order to allow high-speed trains to and from Salerno and the south to bypass Napoli Centrale station, the Mount Vesuvius line may be built. When the Rome–Naples high-speed line is fully open the length of the high-speed section will be about 205 km. Afterwards, the Gricignano di Aversa connecting line will not be used for normal operations.^[2]

The longest tunnel on the line through the Alban Hills is 6,725 meters long. The minimum radius of curves is 5,500 meters and the centres of the running lines are five meters apart. The maximum gradient of the line is 21 per thousand.

Notes

See also

• List of railway lines in Italy

External links

Media related to Rome–Naples high-speed railway at Wikimedia Commons

Berlin–Palermo railway axis Berlin–Halle Halle/Leipzig–Erfurt Erfurt–Nuremberg Nuremberg–Munich Munich–Rosenheim Rosenheim–Kufstein Kufstein–Wörgl Wörgl–Innsbruck Innsbruck bypass Innsbruck–Franzensfeste (Brenner Base Tunnel) Franzensfeste–Verona Milan/Verona–Bologna Bologna–Florence Florence–Rome Rome–Naples Naples–Salerno Salerno–Reggio Calabria Strait of Messina Bridge Messina–Palermo