TURIN > NAPLES

Setting off for Milan, Florence, Rome or Naples is to travel into the heart of Western culture and discover an infinitely rich heritage. It is to share memorable moments of conviviality, or to fall under the charm of bel canto. Travellers can reach these dream destinations via the north-south high-speed line from Turin to Naples since 2009. The construction of the line is a tremendous railway achievement, given the rugged terrain of the peninsula. Italy was one of the first countries in Europe to introduce high-speed, when the first section of the line from Rome to Florence was introduced into service in 1992, and was also the first European country to allow for competition among rail lines. This choice has met with great success. Thanks to service offered by two companies –Trenitalia and Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV) – Italians now use the Frecciarossa or .Italo trains in the same way commuters might take the metro, at very attractive prices. Today passengers can continue on towards Venice and Trieste to the east, Genoa to the west, and Bari and Salerno to the south.

• Leaving Turin
• A network dedicated to high-speed
• Turin-Naples, the journey
• A route destined to defy mountains

• Two companies, one line
• Frecciarossa and .Italo
• Arriving at Naples
• Increased mobility and prospects for the future

Leaving Turin

Situated in the northwest of Italy, the capital city of the Piedmont region is best known as having been the capital of the automotive industry before de-industrialisation efforts in the 1980s. In 2006, Turin was host to the Winter Olympic Games – an initiative that brought a new dynamic to the city, consequently transforming greater Turin. The Spina Centrale urban boulevard was created to cover and span thirteen kilometres of railway tracks, thus connecting districts once separated by track walls. The remarkable station of Porta Susa was sited here in 2013. The station welcomes high-speed trains providing north to south shuttle service as well as TGV trains arriving from Paris.

Designed by the architects of AREP – a subsidiary of French Railways (SNCF) – in partnership with Silvio d’Ascia, the ultra-modern style of this station draws inspiration from the great urban shopping galleries of 19th century Italy. The arched glass canopy is shaped like a caterpillar, forming a glass tunnel that extends for 380 metres, roughly the length of two high-speed trainsets. Piazzas extend on both sides to meet the city streets. Station houses services, retail and restaurants are located on the ground level, while rail traffic and metro connections are coordinated 10 metres below. Two kilometres to the east of Porta Susa is the historic station of Turin Porta Nuova. Renovated several times, the only remaining feature of the station’s original architecture is the impressive facade. Porta Nuova serves as a terminus station for high-speed trains arriving from Milan, Rome, and Naples.

A network dedicated to high-speed

Italy’s adventure with high speed began in 1968 with the decision to build the new Direttissima line between Florence and Rome, capable of handling speeds up to 250km/hr. The conventional speed line is a compulsory transit point for regional and long-distance passengers as well as freight trains, and over the course of time had become completely saturated. A new route was thus created for Direttissima, shorter and less sinuous, winding its way around the Apennine Mountains stretching across the length of the peninsula. A large part of this 138-km-long line was inaugurated in 1978, receiving definitive certification for high-speed in 1992.
Italian Railways (Ferrovie dello Stato, FS) continued its momentum in the first years of the 21st century by taking three major steps: the Rome-Naples sections in 2006, Milan-Bologna in 2008, and Bologna-Florence in 2009. The completed Turin-Naples line was inaugurated on 5 December 2009. To accommodate travellers, the Italian operator opted for tilting trains, whose passenger cars incline to allow for faster speeds while negotiating curves, as mountainous terrain impeded construction of straight tracks. This marked the era of the Pendolino, the famous trainset developed by the manufacturer Fiat Ferroviaria and capable of running at 250km/hr, including the 4th generation ETR 600. Among the Italian high-speed trains operating at 300km/hr: the ETR 500, the Frecciarossa 1000 and .Italo, the AGV (automotrice à grande vitesse, or self-propelled high-speed train) built by Alstom. In the near future, Trenitalia hopes to operate trains at speeds of 350 km/hr.

Turin-Naples, the journey

Between Turin and Milan, the train runs through the immense plains of the Po, partially covered with rice fields. Fifty minutes later, the first stop is Milano Centrale. Inaugurated in 1931, this monumental station was renovated and redesigned between 2005 and 2008 to accommodate high-speed trains. Built in an eclectic architectural style, the station features a spectacular, 200-metre-long facade. Vast arches in steel and glass cover the 24 tracks. Milan, the second biggest city in the country, boasts unparalleled economic dynamism. This fashion and design capital, with its famous quadrilatero della moda, is also famous for its Duomo, a huge cathedral in flamboyant Gothic style, La Scala opera house, and romantic evenings on the banks of the city canals, or navigli.

The train crosses the River Po over a long cable-stayed viaduct, entering the ultra-modern station of Mediopadana at Reggio d’Emilia. Designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the station’s white steel and glass folds stretch over 500 metres. After Bologna, home to the oldest operating university in Europe, the line crosses the Apennines to reach Florence via a series of tunnels. The two longest are 17 and 15 kilometres respectively! Here is the opportunity to visit Florence, home the Italian Renaissance, and to stroll across the Ponte Vecchio or encounter the Uffizi’s gallery of geniuses – Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli, and many others. From Florence to Rome, by way of two long tunnels, passengers will revel in the delights of the sublime landscapes of Tuscany – the land of Chianti – early morning mists, rows of cypress trees, and boxy villas perched on vineyard- scored hilltops. A very long viaduct – extending over five kilometres – spans the Paglia River at Arezzo. The train soon enters Roma Termini station, with its singular architecture: two wings, each a kilometre in length, frame the building. They are the only vestiges of the original project, judged too monumental. A long, curved canopy, known as ‘the dinosaur’, was designed in 1950 to replace the original portico. Rome, capital of Italy and cradle of the Roman Empire, retains traces of a history dating back thousands of years. Famed for its art, the city boasts a vibrant cultural life and a history closely tied to the papacy. Visitors roam freely the seven hills of the city, walking from elegant Capitol Square to the Roman Forum, and on to Saint Peter’s Square at the heart of Vatican City. Rome is also the home of Baroque and the silver screen, which immortalised the Trevi Fountain in La Dolce Vita, one of Federico Fellini’s films. Two hundred kilometres separate the capital from Naples, final destination of the journey.

A route destined to defy mountains

Building railway infrastructure in Italy is challenging. The rugged landscapes are shaped by the Apennines, which form a barrier across the centre of the peninsula. This tumultuous terrain, as well as the presence of many archaeological sites, were the primary factors taken into consideration when building the line.
The sheer number of tunnels, viaducts, and bridges built along this line is astounding. The most complicated section to complete was without doubt between Bologna and Florence. Crossing the mountain range, this line encapsulates all imaginable construction challenges: 74 kilometres of tunnels along 79 kilometres of line! A remarkable technical feat. Likewise, between Florence and Rome, the semi-mountainous terrain forced contractors to lay tracks running partly alongside the A4 motorway, and to build five new tunnels.
Other infrastructure works of note: city loops designed to relieve traffic and provide better distribution. These are used primarily by the fastest trains on the Turin-Naples line, which don’t stop at every station. Certain cities also benefit from a ‘passante’, a railway track that provides underground service.