Line B (Rome Metro)

Last updated

Line B
Metropolitana di Roma B.svg
ATAC CAF MB400 (RB-432.0).jpg
A CAF MB/400 train in Termini Station
Overview
StatusIn use
Owner ATAC
LocaleRome, Italy
Termini
Stations26
Service
Type Rapid transit
System Rome Metro
Operator(s) ATAC
Daily ridership156,590 (2023) [1]
History
Opened9 February 1955;70 years ago (1955-02-09)
Technical
Line length18.151 km (11.279 mi) plus B1 branch of 5,5 km [2]
CharacterUnderground and Elevated
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Electrification Overhead lines
Route map
Roma - mappa metropolitana linea B (schematica).png
BSicon uKBHFa.svg
Rebibbia
BSicon uBHF.svg
P.Mammolo
BSicon uBHF.svg
S.M.Soccorso
Jonio
BSicon uKBHFa.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
Pietralata
Conca d'Oro
BSicon uBHF.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
M.Tiburtini
FL1   Libia
BSicon uBHF.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
Quintiliani
S. Agnese - Annibaliano
BSicon uBHF.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
Tiburtina
BSicon uSTR.svg
BSicon uSTR.svg
FL1   FL2   FL3
BSicon uBS2l.svg
BSicon uBS2r.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
Bologna
3   19
BSicon uBHF.svg
Policlinico
BSicon uBHF.svg
Castro Pretorio
5   14   RM-Giard.
BSicon uSTR.svg
FL4   FL5   FL6
BSicon uBHF.svg
Termini A
FL7   FL8
BSicon uSTR.svg
LE-FCO
BSicon FLUG.svg
BSicon uSTR.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
Cavour
3
BSicon uBHF.svg
Colosseo
3
BSicon uBHF.svg
Circo Massimo
FL1   FL3   FL5
BSicon uBHF.svg
Piramide
3   RM-Lido
BSicon uSTR.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
Garbatella
RM-Lido
BSicon uBHF.svg
Basilica San Paolo
BSicon uBHF.svg
Marconi
RM-Lido
BSicon uBHF.svg
EUR Magliana
BSicon uBHF.svg
EUR Palasport
BSicon uBHF.svg
EUR Fermi
720-CIA
BSicon FLUG.svg
BSicon uKBHFe.svg
Laurentina
Metro Line B in Rome
Line B (Rome Metro)
Transparent.svg
Transparent.svg
2km
1.2miles
26
Rebibbia
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
25
P.Mammolo
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
24
S.M.Soccorso
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
23
Pietralata
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
22
Monti
Tiburtini
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
21
Quintiliani
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
20
Tiburtina
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
19
Jonio
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
18
Conca d'Oro
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
17
Libia
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
16
Sant'Agnese
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
15
Bologna (Rome Metro)
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
14
Policlinico
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
13
Castro Pretorio
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
12
Termini
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
11
Cavour
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
10
Colosseo
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
9
Circo Massimo
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
8
Piramide
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
7
Garbatella
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
6
San Paolo
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
5
Marconi
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
4
EUR Magliana
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
3
EUR Palasport
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
2
EUR Fermi
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg
1
Laurentina
Transparent square.svg
Transparent square.svg

Line B is a metro line serving Rome, Italy, and part of the Rome Metro. Despite its name, Line B was the first line to be built in the city. It crosses Rome diagonally from north-east, starting at Rebibbia and at Jonio stations, to south, terminating at Laurentina, in the EUR district. It crosses Line A at Termini station. The line has 26 stations and is shown in blue on Metro maps.

Contents

Overview

Its first service runs at 05:30 and its last at 23:30. From 18 January 2008, the last Friday and Saturday service runs at 1:30. It carries 345,000 passengers a day and runs 377 trains a day, with a peak time frequency of one train every 3 minutes in the shared section and 4,5 minutes in the branches. Every 6 minutes at other times, at a maximum frequency of 9 minutes at the most off-peak times. [3]

History

Despite its name, Line B was the first metro line in Rome. The line was planned during the 1930s by the Fascist government in search of a rapid connection between the main train station, Termini, and a new district to the south-east of the city, E42, the planned location of the Universal Exposition (or Expo), which was to be held in Rome in 1942. The exposition never took place due to Italy's entrance into World War II in 1940. When work was interrupted some of the tunnels on the city-centre side of the metro (between Termini and Piramide) had been completed and were used as air raid shelters during the war.

Work on the metro began again in 1948, in concert with turning the space, formerly designated for the Expo, into a commercial district under the name Esposizione Universale Roma (EUR). The line was officially opened on 9 February 1955 by the President of the Republic Luigi Einaudi. Regular services began on the following day. [4]

When the new east–west line began service in 1980 from Anagnina to Ottaviano, it was named Line A, while the existing Termini-Laurentina line was renamed Line B.

In 1990, Line B was extended from Termini to Rebibbia to the east of the city, and the entire line was modernised. A spur called B1 opened on 13 June 2012. [5] It is a branch of Line B from Bologna to Jonio with 4 stations: Sant'Agnese/Annibaliano, Libia, Conca d'Oro, and the branch's new terminus at Jonio, opened on 21 April 2015).

Line B has 26 stations with terminuses at Rebibbia, Jonio and Laurentina (just east of EUR).

Opening dates

Extensions

After the recently opened B1 line, there have been plans for an extension beyond Jonio (and then to Bufalotta). [6] Another future extension has been planned beyond Rebibbia with two stations: San Basilio and Torraccia/Casal Monastero. [7]

Rolling stock

When the B line opened in 1955, MR100 and MR200 trains (also collectively known as Automotrice Stanga-TIBB) were used, and were transferred to the Rome-Lido railway in 1987, replaced by Series MB100 trains introduced in the same year, not only to replace the ageing MR100 and MR200 trains but also to cope with an increase in passengers following the opening of the eastward extension to Rebibbia.

Since 2010, Line B has also used the newer CAF MA300 and from 2014, MB400 Series trains similar to those on the Line A.

Statistics

Year2014 [8] 2015 [9] 2016 [10] 2017 [11] 2018 [10] 2019 [10] 2020 [10] 2021 [10] 2022 [12] 2023 [1]
Passengers (millions)83.4578.8174.0074.9180.5479.7435.1138.9150.0957.16

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Il trasporto pubblico locale a Roma. Anno 2024" (PDF) (in Italian). Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  2. "Caratteristiche principali". romametropolitane.it. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  3. http://www.agenzia.roma.it/documenti/carta_servizi/40.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  4. Rome Underground Railway Opened The Railway Magazine issue 649 May 1955 page 361
  5. Online, Redazione Roma. "Ore 5.30, taglio del nastro: inaugura la metro B1 Si viaggia da Piazza Bologna a Conca d'Oro" . Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  6. "Metro B1, ok alla tratta Ionio-Bufalotta", La Repubblica Roma.it, 18 February 2012.
  7. "Prolungamento Linea B". romametropolitane.it. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  8. "IL TRASPORTO PUBBLICO LOCALE A ROMA. Anno 2015" . Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  9. "IL TRASPORTO PUBBLICO LOCALE A ROMA. Anno 2016" (PDF). Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Cap.9 Mobilità e trasporti" (PDF). Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  11. "Il trasporto pubblico locale a Roma. Anno 2018" (PDF) (in Italian). Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  12. "Il trasporto pubblico locale a Roma. Anno 2023" (PDF) (in Italian). Retrieved 10 August 2025.

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