Rome–Ancona railway

The Rome–Ancona railway (or Ancona–Orte railway) is a rail line in central Italy connecting the city of Ancona with Orte, and therefore with the capital city, Rome. The line crosses the Apennine Mountains from the Adriatic Sea to the Tyrrhenian Sea, passing through Foligno, Spoleto, and Terni.

Ancona–Orte
Overview
Status	Operational
Line number	105, 106, 114
Locale	Italy
Termini	Ancona Orte
Service
Type	Heavy rail
System	Italian railway system
Operator(s)	RFI (2001–present) FS (1905–2001) RA (1885–1905) SFR (1866–1885)
History
Opened	1866
Technical
Line length	212 km (132 mi)
Number of tracks	2 (Ancona–Montecarotto, P.M. 228–Fabriano, Foligno–Campello, Terni–Orte) otherwise 1
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	3 kV DC
Operating speed	180 km/h (110 mph)
Route map km elev 0.000 Roma Termini 58 m Roma San Lorenzo from Fiumicino, Pisa and Viterbo to Naples (via Formia), Naples (via Cassino) and Nettuno to Pescara and Naples (HS) 4.505 Roma Tiburtina 25 m 7.183 Roma Nomentana (opened 1983) 25 m Aniene 10.330 Nuovo Salario (opened 1981) 24 m Roma marshalling yard 12.772 Fidene (opened 1995) 25 m Grande Raccordo Anulare 16.379 Settebagni 27 m to Florence (HS) A1 25.582 Monterotondo-Mentana 24 m 30.994 Piana Bella di Montelibretti (opened 1981) 24 m 37.130 Fara Sabina-Montelibretti 34 m to Rieti, Antrodoco and San Benedetto del Tronto, not built 48.521 Poggio Mirteto 32 m 52.835 Gavignano Sabino 33 m 56.784 Stimigliano 43 m 60.810 Collevecchio-Poggio Sommavilla 39 m A1 Tiber Florence–Rome (HS) 69.737 Civita Castellana-Magliano 47 m Tiber 73.837 Gallese in Teverina 45 m Tiber Florence–Rome (HS) Orte Sud link from Florence–Rome (HS) from Civitavecchia 82.503 Orte 52 m to Florence Tiber A1 – E35-E45 Lazio Umbria border 88.341 San Liberato 67 m 91.884 Nera Montoro 83 m old route, closed 1998 92.583 Santa Croce tunnel (3,660 m) 96.243 97.320 98.770 Narni-Amelia 93 m from Sulmona and L'Aquila FCU from Perugia 111.479 Terni (end of double track) 129 m 123.591 Giuncano 353 m 126.627 Balduini tunnel (1.642 m) 128.269 Balduini 431 m 133.927 Baiano di Spoleto 380 m 140.709 Spoleto SSIF / RFI 304 m SSIF line to Norcia (closed 1968) 146.724 San Giacomo di Spoleto 257 m 150.607 Campello sul Clitunno (start of double track) 232 m Clitunno 157.086 Trevi 214 m 165.971 Foligno (end of double track) 239 m to Terontola 170.146 Scanzano-Belfiore 270 m 175.429 Capodacqua-Pieve Fanonica 321 m 179.245 Valtopina 360 m 184.601 Nocera Umbra 396 m 189.460 Ponte Parrano di Nocera Umbra (opened 1947) 440 m 194.796 Gaifana 484 m 201.893 Gualdo Tadino 462 m FS–FAC link (closed) 207.729 Fossato di Vico-Gubbio RFI / FAC 463 m FAC line to Arezzo (closed 1945) 211.601 Fossato tunnel crossing loop 211.782 Fossato tunnel (1,908 m) Umbria Marche border 213.690 216.950 Cancelli di Fabriano (opened 1942) 423 m Fabriano (old ) from Pergola (closed 2013) 223.903 Fabriano (start of double track) 325 m old route, closed 2009 225.520 Fabriano tunnel (1.717 m) 227.237 228.208 228.054 P.M. 228 crossing loop (end of double track) 276 m 232.018 Albacina 240 m to Civitanova Marche, bridge over Giano bridge over Esino bridge over Esino bridge over Sentino 239.397 Genga-San Vittore Terme (opened 1916) 195 m bridge over Esino 242.739 Della Rossa tunnel (1,228 m) 243.967 bridge over Esino 246.295 Serra San Quirico 158 m 252.541 252.657 Castelplanio-Cupramontana (start of double track) 125 m start of deviation, opened 2017 bridge over Esino bridge over Esino end of deviation, opened 2017 258.430 Montecarotto-Castelbellino 97 m 261.240 Pantiere di Castelbellino (opened 1949) 86 m 267.403 Jesi 69 m 273.990 Jesi Interporto (opened 2018) 37 m 278.185 Chiaravalle 22 m bridge over Esino A14 – E55 280.961 Castelferretti-Falconara Aeroporto delle Marche 283.787 Carbonifera junction, to Bologna (1936–1944, reopened 1946, now closed) 283.828 Falconara Stadio (opened 2004) from Bologna 285.429 195.299 Falconara Marittima 4 m 198.307 Palombina 4 m 200.557 Ancona Torrette (opened 2002) 1 m Ancona–Falconara M. tramway (closed 1944) Ancona tramways (closed 1949) 0.000 Ancona ATMA (closed 1949) / RFI 3 m to Lecce Ancona tramways (closed 1949) and to Ancona Marittima km Source: Italian railway atlas

History

A map of railway lines in Italy in 1870, with the Ancona–Orte line completed.

Track	Opened
Falconara Marittima–Ancona	17 November 1861
Rome-Orte	1 April 1865
Orte–Foligno	4 January 1866
Foligno–Falconara Marittima	29 April 1866

Plans for a railway line between Rome and the Adriatic coast began in 1846 in the Papal state, after the death of Pope Gregory XVI, who strongly opposed rail. The construction of the new railway was authorized on 7 November 1846 by the new Pope Pius IX, to link Rome with the main port on the Adriatic sea, Ancona. The aim was also to reach Bologna and Modena, and thus to connect the Papal state to Lombardy and Veneto railway network.

The project was initially named Strada Ferrata «Pio Centrale» in honor of the Pope, but was finished only on 29 April 1866, under the newly born Kingdom of Italy. Works were slowed by the process of Italian unification, lack of funds, and complications due to the difficult terrain. However, the partially completed line was opened since 1865, with trains operated by Società per le strade ferrate romane (SSFR).

The line was interrupted by Papal army in 1870 in an attempt to fight back the Italian army invading Rome. The line was soon reactivated once Rome became capital of the Kingdom. The state took control of the line after the failure of SSFR. The line was subsequently incorporated into the Adriatic network and managed by Società Italiana per le strade ferrate meridionali (Italian company for southern railways), which doubled tracks between Rome and Orte in 1890.

The management of the line was moved to Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) in 1905. In 1907, the section between Ancona and Falconara Marittima was doubled. The electrification of the line was completed on 28 October 1935, and travel time reduced from about 7 to 4 hours. The line was severely damaged in the Second World War and was completely reopened in 1946.

• 
  Act establishing the start of works, 7 November 1846
• 
  Tender for construction materials (1859)
• 
  Timetable from December 1866

Operation

Regional and Intercity trains are operated on the line by Trenitalia. The capacity is severely limited by single-track sections. Of the total length of 299 km, 125 km are single track.

See also

• List of railway lines in Italy

References

Sources

• Rete Ferroviaria Italiana. Fascicolo linea 105 (Ancona–Foligno)
• Rete Ferroviaria Italiana. Fascicolo linea 106 (Foligno–Orte)
• Tiberi, Gianfranco (1989). Gli investimenti ferroviari: 150 anni di altalena, in La tecnica professionale. Roma: CIFI.
• Turchi, Gian Guido (1979). La ferrovia Roma-Ancona dalla "Pio centrale" al "Pendolino", in Ferrovie italmodel. Verona: Edizioni EMME.
• Tuzza, Alessandro, ed. (1927). "Prospetto cronologico dei tratti di ferrovia aperti all'esercizio dal 1839 al 31 dicembre 1926" (in Italian). Ufficio Centrale di Statistica delle Ferrovie dello Stato/Trenidicarta.it. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
• Atlante ferroviario d'Italia e Slovenia [Railway atlas of Italy and Slovenia]. Schweers Wall. 2010. ISBN 978-3-89494-129-1.}