Catania Metro

Catania Metro
Catania Metro train at Giovanni XXIII station
Overview
Locale Catania, Sicily, Italy
Transit type Rapid transit
Number of lines 1
Number of stations 11
Website www.circumetnea.it
Operation
Began operation 27 June 1999[1]
Operator(s) Ferrovia Circumetnea
Number of vehicles 8 FCE M.88
Technical
System length 8.8 km (5.5 mi)[2]
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification 3 kV DC overhead line
System map

The Catania Metro (Italian: Metropolitana di Catania) is a rapid transit system serving the city of Catania, Sicily, in southern Italy. It is the southernmost metro system in Europe.

The Catania Metro has been in operation since June 27, 1999.

History and construction

The section of the line between the stations of Borgo and Porto originally belonged to the Ferrovia Circumetnea narrow-gauge regional railway which opened to traffic in 1895.

For the operation of the metro, this portion of the rail line was converted to standard gauge and mostly moved underground into a double-track 2.0 kilometres (1.2 mi)[1] cut-and-cover tunnel, except for the part of the route adjacent to the coast which runs on the surface for 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) and which is single-tracked.[1] Thus, the narrow-gauge Circumetnea railway's original terminus at Catania Porto had to be moved to Borgo due to the development of the Catania Metro.

The Metropolitana and the Circumetnea railways are operated by the same company, which has its offices at Catania Borgo.

Current service

During the first years of operation, this metro suffered from poor ridership, as its former route (from 1999 to 2016) merely skirted the city centre and therefore did not reach many popular destinations. However, ridership increased significantly in 2017.[3] The metro does not operate on Sundays or public holidays.[4] Trains run every 10 minutes until 3:00 p.m. and then every 15 minutes until the end of the service, at 9:24 p.m.[5] On Saturdays, service runs until midnight.[4]

Tickets

All tickets (except MetroBus tickets) may be purchased at ticket machines at every station.

  • 90min: €1
  • DayTicket: €2
  • MetroBus Ticket: €1.20
  • 30days Ticket: €15

List of stations

Future service and planned extensions

An extension to the system was approved on March 30, 2006. It involves a branch from the existing line at Galatea westward through the city centre, which is planned eventually to reach Catania's Fontanarossa airport to the south.[6] This solution was favored over proposals for an airport link by means of a new station on the Catania-Siracusa line, which runs past the airport and is part of the national rail network. Recent underground stations at Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII and Corso Sicilia, near Piazza Stesicoro, among others, serve the city center since December 20, 2016 while the new track Borgo-Nesima (four new stations) opened in March, 2017.

Another extension, westward from the current terminal at Nesima, is also under construction as far as Misterbianco, toward the north-western border of the city. It is planned to open in 2018.

Rolling stock

Elettrotreno FCE M.88
In service 2008–present
Manufacturer Firema Trasporti S.p.A.
Constructed 2008–2011
Number under construction 14 two-car trains
Number built 8
Formation 2-car permanently coupled sets
Capacity 442
Specifications
Car body construction aluminum
Doors 8 sets per car
Electric system(s) 3000 V DC overhead pantograph

The current Metro cars used are Elettrotreno FCE M.88 built by Firema S.p.A. delivered between 2001 and 2011. It replaced earlier Stanga cars from the Umbra Central Railroad. The cars consists of a married set of two cars. 7 of the 8 cars delivered were given names:

  • Norma
  • Beatrice
  • Elvira
  • Zaira
  • Rita
  • Brigante
  • Donatello
  • Agata

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Comune di Catania - Informazioni e servizi al cittadino - Ferrovia Circumetnea - Metropolitana di Catania - La Linea Metropolitana" [Municipality of Catania - Information and services for citizens - Circumetnea Railway - Metropolitan Catania - The Metropolitan Line] (in Italian). Comune di Catania. Archived from the original on 2014-05-18. Retrieved 2014-05-17.
  2. ↑ "Schema di Rete" [Network diagram] (in Italian). Ferrovia Circumetnea. Retrieved 2015-10-20.
  3. ↑ "La metropolitana di Catania triplica gli utenti in attesa degli imminenti sviluppi della linea" [Catania metro increases the ridership (+323%) in the first six months of 2017] (in Italian). Retrieved 2015-08-06.
  4. 1 2 "Tariffe e Orari della Metropolitana" [Rates and hours of the metro] (in Italian). Ferrovia Circumetnea. Retrieved 2015-10-20.
  5. ↑ "Metropolitana di Catania, tariffe e orari" (in Italian).
  6. ↑ Tartaglia, Andrea. "Catania Subway". URBAN RAILWAY - RETI FERROVIARIE ITALIANE. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
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