Florence tramway
Encyclopedia
Trams in Florence consists of one operational fast tram
line and two others under construction. The first line was opened in 2010 linking the city center with the neighboring comune
of Scandicci
.
Florence, like many other Italian cities, dismissed its old tramway network at the end of the 1950s, but is coming back to trams in recent years to find a solution to the rising car traffic in the city.
The current network operator is GEST (Gestione Servizio tramviario), a public company owned by ATAF (49%) and RATPdev (51%), subsidiary of the French RATP.
and Poggio a Caiano
. The tramway was managed by Società dei Tramways Fiorentini.
In 1898 the company bought out Tranvia del Chianti company and in the same year the lines were electrified.
In 1926 the tram was considered already obsolete, and the first bus routes started. In 1934 the company responsible for the service went out of business.
During the Second World War the tramway was severely damaged, and the network was fully restored only in 1951. From the end of the war the tramway was managed by ATAF. However, after few years the infrastructure was deemed too old and inadequate, and the tramway was definitively closed on 20 January 1958.
the Florence administration decided to restore the tram service.
Works on the first line started on December 2005. Construction works were expected to last for 1,000 days, but eventually it took more than 1,800 days to complete the line. The line started operation on 14 February 2010.
The first part of the line, at Scandicci
, is the first rail public transport service in the area.
During the first 10 months of service, the total passenger served were 7 million, a result which has been considered a success.
Service starts at 5:30 and stops at 0:30. The headway is 4 minutes from 7.30 to 20.30 and 6 minutes elsewhere.
A journey from end to end takes about 23 minutes.
The route is mainly on reserved lanes. Stops are located at a distance of 300-400 m.
motorway. A car parking will also be built.
to the new Florence High-speed rail station and then to Santa Maria Novella railway station, where it will interchange with line 1. From that point the line run through the city center in two different branches, also serving the Duomo in the initial planning. However, after the recent revisions, the line will probably not pass in Duomo and will run partly underground (4 stops).
Line 2 will be 7.5 km (4.7 mi) long and will be fundamental in connecting the Airport to the new High-speed rail station and in serving the city center, which is planned to become mainly pedestrian.
The line will serve the northern metropolitan area of Florence.
Fast tram
Fast tram is a type of LRT, which is a tram system with high velocities. The Belgian Premetro and German Stadtbahn are two of types of fast trams....
line and two others under construction. The first line was opened in 2010 linking the city center with the neighboring comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Scandicci
Scandicci
thumb|250px|Pieve of Sant'Alessandro a Giogoli.Scandicci is a comune of c. 50,000 inhabitants in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 6 km southwest of Florence....
.
Florence, like many other Italian cities, dismissed its old tramway network at the end of the 1950s, but is coming back to trams in recent years to find a solution to the rising car traffic in the city.
The current network operator is GEST (Gestione Servizio tramviario), a public company owned by ATAF (49%) and RATPdev (51%), subsidiary of the French RATP.
1879-1958
The first horse-drawn tramway in Florence was inaugurated on 5 April 1879. It linked the city center to Peretola. One year later the original line was extended to reach PratoPrato
Prato is a city and comune in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city is situated at the foot of Monte Retaia , the last peak in the Calvana chain. The lowest altitude in the comune is 32 m, near the Cascine di Tavola, and the highest is the peak of Monte Cantagrillo...
and Poggio a Caiano
Poggio a Caiano
Poggio a Caiano is a town and comune in the Province of Prato, Tuscany region Italy. The town lies 9 km south of the provincial capital of Prato.-The Medici villa:...
. The tramway was managed by Società dei Tramways Fiorentini.
In 1898 the company bought out Tranvia del Chianti company and in the same year the lines were electrified.
In 1926 the tram was considered already obsolete, and the first bus routes started. In 1934 the company responsible for the service went out of business.
During the Second World War the tramway was severely damaged, and the network was fully restored only in 1951. From the end of the war the tramway was managed by ATAF. However, after few years the infrastructure was deemed too old and inadequate, and the tramway was definitively closed on 20 January 1958.
2010-
During the beginning of the 2000s2000s
File:2000s decade montage3.png|From left, clockwise: The World Trade Center towers, in the wake of the September 11 attacks; the Euro enters into European currency in 2002; a statue of Saddam Hussein being toppled during the Iraq War; U.S. troops heading toward an army helicopter during the War in...
the Florence administration decided to restore the tram service.
Works on the first line started on December 2005. Construction works were expected to last for 1,000 days, but eventually it took more than 1,800 days to complete the line. The line started operation on 14 February 2010.
Line 1
| Route |
|---|
|
The first part of the line, at Scandicci
Scandicci
thumb|250px|Pieve of Sant'Alessandro a Giogoli.Scandicci is a comune of c. 50,000 inhabitants in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 6 km southwest of Florence....
, is the first rail public transport service in the area.
During the first 10 months of service, the total passenger served were 7 million, a result which has been considered a success.
Service starts at 5:30 and stops at 0:30. The headway is 4 minutes from 7.30 to 20.30 and 6 minutes elsewhere.
A journey from end to end takes about 23 minutes.
Technical summary
The rolling stock consists of 17 AnsaldoBreda Sirio, already in use in other cities in Italy and around the world.The route is mainly on reserved lanes. Stops are located at a distance of 300-400 m.
Future plans
| Line | |Terminals | Opened (planned) | Length (km) | Stops | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Villa Costanza (Scandicci Scandicci thumb|250px|Pieve of Sant'Alessandro a Giogoli.Scandicci is a comune of c. 50,000 inhabitants in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 6 km southwest of Florence.... ) |
Santa Maria Novella | 2010 | 7.4 | 14 |
| T2 | Peretola Airport Peretola Airport Peretola Airport, Florence Airport or Amerigo Vespucci Airport is an airport located close to Florence, Italy, but administratively located within the territory of Sesto Fiorentino... |
Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia | 2014 | 7.5 | 18 |
| T3 | Careggi | Santa Maria Novella | ? | 3.4 | 9 |
| T4 | Santa Maria Novella | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Line 1 extension
An expansion from Scandicci towards Casellina and Pontignale is planned. The new terminus will be near an exit of the A1Autostrada A1 (Italy)
The Autostrada A1, or Autostrada del Sole , is an Italian motorway which connects Milan with Naples via Bologna, Florence and Rome. At 754 km, it is the longest Italian autostrada and is considered the “spinal cord” of the country’s road network...
motorway. A car parking will also be built.
Line 2
Line 2 will run from the airportPeretola Airport
Peretola Airport, Florence Airport or Amerigo Vespucci Airport is an airport located close to Florence, Italy, but administratively located within the territory of Sesto Fiorentino...
to the new Florence High-speed rail station and then to Santa Maria Novella railway station, where it will interchange with line 1. From that point the line run through the city center in two different branches, also serving the Duomo in the initial planning. However, after the recent revisions, the line will probably not pass in Duomo and will run partly underground (4 stops).
Line 2 will be 7.5 km (4.7 mi) long and will be fundamental in connecting the Airport to the new High-speed rail station and in serving the city center, which is planned to become mainly pedestrian.
Line 3
Line 3 will run from Careggi Hospital in the north to Santa Maria Novella railway station, where it will interchange with Line 1 and 2.The line will serve the northern metropolitan area of Florence.