Ancona–Orte railway

The 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
TypeHeavy rail
SystemItalian railway system
StatusOperational
LocaleItaly
TerminiAncona
Orte
Operation
Opened1866
Operator(s)RFI (2001–present)
FS (1905–2001)
RA (1885–1905)
SFR (1866–1885)
Technical
Line length212 km (132 mi)
Number of tracks2 (Ancona–Montecarotto, P.M. 228–Fabriano, Foligno–Campello, Terni–Orte)
otherwise 1
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification3 kV DC
Operating speed180 km/h (110 mph)
Route map
Legend
-
1.720 Ancona Marittima
 2 m
0.000
203.996
 Ancona
 3 m
 200.557 Ancona Torrette
 198.307 Palombina
 4 m
195.299
285.429
 Falconara Marittima
 4 m
283.828 Falconara Stadio
since 2004 [1]
 280.961 Castelferretti
 19 m
 278.185 Chiaravalle
 22 m
 267.403 Jesi
 69 m
 261.240 Pantiere di Castelbellino
since 1949 [2]
 86 m
 258.430 Montecarotto-Castelbellino
 97 m
 252.541 Castelplanio-Cupramontana
End of double line
 125 m
 246.195 Serra San Quirico
 158 m
Della Rossa (1228 m)
 239.397 Genga
since 1916 [3]
 195 m
from Civitanova Marche
 232.018 Albacina
 240 m
228.054
228.208
 P.M. 228
Start of double line
Fabriano (1717 m)
 223.903 Fabriano
End of double line
 325 m
to Pergola
 216.950 Cancelli di Fabriano
 423 m
Fossato (1908 m)
 211.601 P.M. Galleria Fossato
 207.729 Fossato di Vico-Gubbio
 463 m
 201.893 Gualdo Tadino
 462 m
 194.796 Gaifana
 484 m
 189.460 Ponte Parrano di Nocera Umbra
since 1947 [4]
 440 m
 184.601 Nocera Umbra
 396 m
 179.245 Valtopina
 360 m
 175.429 Capodacqua-Pieve Fanonica
 321 m
 170.146 Scanzano Belfiore
 270 m
from Terontola
 165.971 Foligno
Start of double line
 239 m
 157.086 Trevi
 214 m
 150.607 Campello sul Clitunno
End of double line
 232 m
 146.724 San Giacomo di Spoleto
 140.709 Spoleto
 304 m
 133.927 Baiano di Spoleto
 380 m
Balduini (1642 m)
 123.591 Giuncano
 353 m
 111.479 Terni
Start of double line
 129 m
to Umbertide / to Sulmona
98.770
97.320
 Narni-Amelia
 93 m
Santa Croce (3660 m)
 91.884 Nera Montoro
 83 m
 88.341 San Liberato
 67 m
82.503 Orte
 52 m

History
A map of railway lines in Italy in 1870, with the Ancona–Orte line completed.
Track Opened[5]
Falconara Marittima–Ancona 17 November 1861[6]
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.[7] 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 fell from about 7 to 4 hours. The line was severely damaged during the Second World War and was completely reopened in 1946.

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

References and notes
  1. Impianti FS. In: ″I Treni″ Nr. 267 (February 2005), p. 6–7.
  2. Ordine di Servizio Nr. 15 - 1949
  3. Ordine di Servizio Nr. 146 - 1916
  4. Ordine di Servizio Nr. 69 - 1947
  5. Prospetto cronologico dei tratti di ferrovia aperti all'esercizio dal 1839 al 31 dicembre 1926
  6. Part of Bologna–Ancona railway.
  7. Ministero del commercio e dei Lavori Pubblici, Ragguaglio di quanto è stato operato dal 1859 al 1863 (railways section), Rome, Tipografia della Reverenda Camera Apostolica, 1864.

Bibliography
  • 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.

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