Potenza Centrale railway station
Encyclopedia
Potenza Centrale railway station , formerly known as Potenza Inferiore, is the main station
serving the city and comune
of Potenza
, in the region
of Basilicata
, southern Italy
. Opened in 1880, it forms part of the Battipaglia–Potenza–Metaponto railway and is also a junction
of a branch line to Foggia.
The station is currently managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI). However, the commercial area of the passenger building
is managed by Centostazioni
. Standard gauge train services are operated by Trenitalia
. Each of these companies is a subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato
(FS), Italy's state-owned rail company.
Narrow gauge train services to the nearby station of Potenza Inferiore are operated by Ferrovie Appulo Lucane, a separate company.
, to the south of the city centre.
–Potenza section of the Battipaglia–Potenza–Metaponto railway, a line linking it directly with Salerno
and Taranto
.
Until 10 December 2006, it was named Statione di Potenza Inferiore, as it is in the lower elevations of the city, adjacent to the Basento
river.
The station yard has three tracks with platforms for passenger services, and also many other tracks. The passenger building and platform 1 are connected with the other platforms by a pedestrian underpass. To the east, towards Metaponto
, there is a small locomotive shed with refueling facilities. In the other direction, towards Battipaglia
, there are several small buildings used for various technical purposes, and above them the concrete Musmeci viaduct, which provides road access to the city.
The station has recently been the subject of a redevelopment project under the Centostazioni program. It will shortly also undergo work on its connection with the bus routes in Via Nazario Sauro, through a line of escalators and underground passageways.
Some of the trains that stop at the station provide long distance links with major cities such as Rome
and Naples
, and also with the region of Apulia
. The more common regional trains
link Potenza with closer destinations, including Salerno
, Naples
, Melfi, Foggia
and Taranto
.
This article is based upon a translation of the Italian language version as at December 2010.
Central station
A central station usually designates the principal passenger railway station of cities which have multiple stations. The central station functions as the main transport hub for rail transport, normally with interchange with other modes of public transport...
serving the city and 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 Potenza
Potenza
-Transportation:Potenza is a rail junction on the main line from Salerno to Taranto, managed by FS Trenitalia; it has also a connection to Altamura, served by the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane regional company...
, in the region
Regions of Italy
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes....
of Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
, southern Italy
South Italy
South Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency. South Italy encompasses six of the country's 20 regions:*Abruzzo...
. Opened in 1880, it forms part of the Battipaglia–Potenza–Metaponto railway and is also a junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
of a branch line to Foggia.
The station is currently managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
(RFI). However, the commercial area of the passenger building
Station building
A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger train station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers.A station building is not to be confused with the station itself...
is managed by Centostazioni
Centostazioni
' is a member company of Italy's Ferrovie dello Stato group. It was created to rehabilitate, develop and manage 103 medium sized Italian railway stations.-History:...
. Standard gauge train services are operated by Trenitalia
Trenitalia
Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. Trenitalia is owned by Ferrovie dello Stato, itself owned by the Italian Government. It was created in 2000 following the EU directive on the deregulation of rail transport.-Passenger transport:...
. Each of these companies is a subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato is a government-owned holding which manage infrastructure and service on the Italian rail network. The subsidiary Trenitalia is the main rail operator in Italy.-Organization:Ferrovie dello Stato subsidiaries are:...
(FS), Italy's state-owned rail company.
Narrow gauge train services to the nearby station of Potenza Inferiore are operated by Ferrovie Appulo Lucane, a separate company.
Location
Potenza Centrale railway station is situated in Piazzale Guglielmo MarconiGuglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor, known as the father of long distance radio transmission and for his development of Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system. Marconi is often credited as the inventor of radio, and indeed he shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Karl Ferdinand...
, to the south of the city centre.
History
The station was opened on 1 September 1880, upon the inauguration of the PicernoPicerno
Picerno is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni of Balvano, Baragiano, Potenza, Ruoti, Savoia di Lucania, Tito, Vietri di Potenza....
–Potenza section of the Battipaglia–Potenza–Metaponto railway, a line linking it directly with Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
and Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
.
Until 10 December 2006, it was named Statione di Potenza Inferiore, as it is in the lower elevations of the city, adjacent to the Basento
Basento
The Basento is a river in southern Italy. It rises in the southern Apennine Mountains, west of Potenza. It flows into the Gulf of Taranto, which is part of the Ionian Sea, in Metaponto. The main city on the Basento is Potenza, the capital of Basilicata....
river.
Features
The passenger building is made up of three conjoined sections, each constructed of brick. The two single storey outer sections extend symmetrically from the two storey central section, which also has a raised facade. Inside the central section are the main entrance, lobby, ticket office and waiting room. The outer sections house other services, including a bar.The station yard has three tracks with platforms for passenger services, and also many other tracks. The passenger building and platform 1 are connected with the other platforms by a pedestrian underpass. To the east, towards Metaponto
Metaponto
Metaponto is a small town of about 1,000 people in the province of Matera, Basilicata, Italy. Administratively it is a frazione of Bernalda.-History:The town is best known for the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Metapontum...
, there is a small locomotive shed with refueling facilities. In the other direction, towards Battipaglia
Battipaglia
Battipaglia is a town and comune in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy, with some 51,000 inhabitants.- History :The birth of the comune of Battipaglia was officialised by a Royal Decree on 28 March 1929...
, there are several small buildings used for various technical purposes, and above them the concrete Musmeci viaduct, which provides road access to the city.
The station has recently been the subject of a redevelopment project under the Centostazioni program. It will shortly also undergo work on its connection with the bus routes in Via Nazario Sauro, through a line of escalators and underground passageways.
Passenger and train movements
The station has about 950,000 passenger movements each year.Some of the trains that stop at the station provide long distance links with major cities such as Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, and also with the region of Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
. The more common regional trains
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
link Potenza with closer destinations, including Salerno
Salerno railway station
Salerno railway station serves the Italian city of Salerno and was opened in 1866.-Overview:It is located at the junction of several lines, including two major national lines, the Naples–Salerno line and the Salerno–Reggio Calabria line. It is also served by two regional lines, the...
, Naples
Napoli Centrale railway station
Napoli Centrale is the main railway station in the city of Naples and southern Italy and the sixth largest station in Italy in terms of passenger flow. It is located next to Piazza Garibaldi to the east of the old city...
, Melfi, Foggia
Foggia railway station
Foggia railway station serves the city and comune of Foggia, in the region of Apulia, southern Italy. Opened in 1864, it forms part of the Adriatic Railway , and is the terminus of the Naples–Foggia railway...
and Taranto
Taranto railway station
Taranto railway station is the main station serving the city and comune of Taranto, in the region of Apulia, southern Italy. Opened in 1868, it forms a junction between three main lines, from Bari, Brindisi and Reggio di Calabria, respectively...
.
See also
- Matera Centrale railway stationMatera Centrale railway stationMatera Centrale is the main railway station in the Italian town of Matera, in Basilicata. It is owned by the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane , a private company based in Bari, and is the nearest station to the Sassi.-History:...
- History of rail transport in Italy
- Rail transport in ItalyRail transport in ItalyThe Italian railway system is one of the most important infrastructure in the country, with a total length of . The network is recently growing with the construction of the new high speed rail network....
- Railway stations in ItalyRailway stations in ItalyRailway stations in Italy are maintained and operated by the RFI division of Ferrovie dello Stato Group. A minor part of them is operated by private and regional companies, conceded by the state.-Classification:...
- List of railway stations in Basilicata
External links
This article is based upon a translation of the Italian language version as at December 2010.