This article needs additional citations for verification .(October 2011) |
Montesanto Funicular | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Native name | Funicolare di Montesanto | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status | in use | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Naples, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stations | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Funicular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 1891 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 0.824 km (0.512 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Montesanto Funicular (Italian: Funicolare di Montesanto), is one of four operating funiculars in the public transportion system of Naples, Italy. The system is a true funicular: an inclined railway with two passenger cars connected via cables, operating in concert.
Opened in 1891, the Montesanto Funicular carries over 4 million passengers per year. The line connects its upper terminus in the Morghen area of Vomero with its lower terminus near the city's Spanish Quarter via three stations, Morghen, Corso Vittorio Emanuele (Napoli), and Montesanto.
At the upper station, it is a short walk to Piazza Vanvitelli, where there is a connection to Vanvitelli station, on Line 1 of the Naples Metro (Metropolitana di Napoli), and to the Chiaia and Central Funiculars. A fourth funicular, the Mergellina Funicular, connects Posillipo Alto with the city's Mergellina area. A now defunct system, the Sorrento Funicular, operated nearby from 1883-1886.
The idea for the construction of the Montesanto funicular was first conceived during the construction of the Cumana Railway which was designed to service Campi Flegrei along the Naples–Torregaveta route. With the residential area expanding around Castel Sant’Elmo, it was decided it would be useful to have a second funicular route connecting the Cumana Railway with Castel Sant'Elmo and the nearby Museo di San Martino. Survey work was carried out by Pariboni & Savoia, and the Neapolitan engineering firm, Officine Nazionali di Savigliano, carried out engineering, electrical and mechanical works as they had done on the Chiaia Funicular. After five years construction, the Montesanto line was opened on May 0, 1891. [1]
Initially the line ran smoothly, but the steep gradients of the Neapolitan lines caused heavy work on the original steam traction engine systems, and they soon began to experience problems. As with the Chiaia line, it was decided to replace the power plants with an all-electrical system, which began operation on June 21, 1901. The new system was more effective, and the Montesanto funicular operated smoothly without any issues for the next several years. The next interruption to service was in 1936, when it was decided to replace the original open carriages with enclosed coaches, which were built by OFM (Officine Ferroviarie Meridionali). [1]
As with the other three lines, the Montesanto line continued to operate successfully for several years, including continuing uninterrupted throughout World War II. As with the other lines, in 1975 Azienda Tranvie Autofilovie Napoletane (ATAN - Neapolitan Light Rail Company) replaced the Società Ferrovie del Vomero (Vomero Train Society) as the operator of the Montesanto funicular. They carried out an audit on the condition of all their assets, and found that the viaduct in the section linking Montesanto and Corso Vittorio Emanuele had been considerably weakened over time. In addition to the general poor state of decline the Montesanto line had experienced, ATAN decided that the Montesanto line required refurbishment. In 1977 they closed the line to carry out essential engineering and modernisation works, entrusting Officine Mecchaniche Agudio to install the same new features as they were doing on the Chiaia funicular. At this time it was decided to install a second intermediate station at Rafaello/Girolamo Santacroce, but as of 2009 construction of this station is still yet to begin. Guaccio Costruzioni carried out engineering surveys, and Mandolino replaced the lines. Nuova Agudio (formerly Officine Mecchaniche Agudio) were given the tender to modernise and replace all of the electrical and mechanical works. Lovisolo constructed new carriages, BMB installed new control and operation systems, and Holtz refurbished the transmission and safety systems. [1] All of the works had been completed by the beginning of 1984, and the refurbished line reopened to the public on 14 April.
ATAN was reorganized as Azienda Napoletana Mobilità (ANM) in 1995, becoming the line's operator. In 2001, operation of all four Naples funiculars was transferred to a different municipal authority, Metronapoli, [2] but it was transferred back to ANM in November 2013.
Further works were carried out in 2005 by Silvio D'Ascia in order to better integrate the line with other urban railway services such as Line 2, Cumana and Circumflegrea, but by early 2008 the Montesanto funicular was fully operational again. [1]
The Montesanto Funicular carries over 4 million passengers annually. It carries an average of 12,500 passengers on workdays, but this is reduced to an average of 4,000 on weekends and holidays.
From the top to bottom the line is 825 metres (2,707 ft) long, and ascends 168 metres (551 ft) in altitude, at an average gradient of 23%. The carriages travel at an average speed of seven metres per second (22.97 ft/s), and the entire route takes four minutes and twenty five seconds. Each train can carry 300 passengers at a time, giving a total capacity of 6,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
The Sassi–Superga tramway is a steep grade railway line in the city of Turin in northern Italy. Managed by Gruppo Torinese Trasporti, it connects the Turin suburb of Sassi to the Basilica of Superga at an altitude of 672 m. The lower station is situated at an altitude of 225 m a.s.l., the upper at 650 m. From here, high in the hills facing the city across the River Po, a panorama of Turin is visible against a backdrop of the Alps. Intermediate stops are located at Prima Galleria, Raddoppio, and Pian Gambino.
The Naples Metro is the rapid transit system serving the city of Naples, Italy. The system comprises three underground rapid transit lines.
Vomero is a bustling hilltop district of metropolitan Naples, Italy — comprising approximately two square kilometres (0.77 sq mi) and a population of 48,000.
The Cumana railway is a commuter railway in Campania, southern Italy, connecting Naples by two separate routes with Torregaveta, near Cuma in the town of Bacoli. It passes through Pozzuoli and the volcanic Campi Flegrei area. The line was built and run by the Società per le Ferrovie Napoletane, founded in 1883, and is now operated by the Ente Autonomo Volturno (EAV) company.
Metronapoli SpA was an Italian company responsible for the provision of public transport in the city of Naples, and its primary function was the operation and maintenance of the Naples Metro system. It was founded on 26 July 2000 and became operational on 1 February 2001. Metronapoli was a fully state-controlled joint-stock corporation. Its functions were absorbed by Azienda Napoletana Mobilità s.p.a. (ANM) on 1 November 2013.
The Four Days of Naples was an uprising in Naples, Italy, against Nazi German occupation forces from September 27 to September 30, 1943, immediately prior to the arrival of Allied forces in Naples on October 1 during World War II.
Line 6 is a 2.2-kilometre (1.4 mi) light metro line that forms part of the Naples Metro. It connects 4 stations. The line is currently closed to the public due to low ridership.
The Villa Literno–Napoli Gianturco railway is a 16 km-long double track line which connects the line to Rome via Formia with the line to Salerno near Napoli Gianturco station through Naples and its north-western suburbs. This line is used by the metropolitan trains named as line 2.
The Central Funicular, is one of four funiculars in the public transportion system of Naples, Italy. The system is a true funicular: an inclined railway with two passenger cars, connected via cables, operating in concert.
The Chiaia Funicular is one of four funiculars in the public transportion system of Naples, Italy. Each system is a true funicular: an inclined railway with two passenger cars connected via cables, operating in concert.
The Mergellina Funicular, is one of four operating funiculars in the public transportion system of Naples, Italy. The system is a true funicular: an inclined railway with two passenger cars, connected via cables, operating in concert.
Napoli Mergellina railway station serves the city and comune of Naples, in the region of Campania, Southern Italy. Opened in 1925, it is the third most important railway station in Naples, after Napoli Centrale and Napoli Campi Flegrei. It also forms part of the Villa Literno–Napoli Gianturco railway.
Azienda Napoletana Mobilità SpA, more commonly known simply as ANM, is a municipally controlled public company that is the primary provider of urban public transportation in the city of Naples, Italy, and also provides a portion of the surface transit service in surrounding municipalities. In addition to a network of tram, trolleybus and motorbus routes, ANM operates the Naples Metro system and four urban funiculars. The metro system and funiculars were operated by a different company from 2001 to 2013, when they again became part of ANM.
Napoli Piazza Amedeo is an underground rail station on the Villa Literno line in Naples, Italy.
Vanvitelli is an underground metro station that serves Line 1 on the Naples Metro. It was opened on 28 May 1993 as the southern terminus of the inaugural section of Naples Metro, between Vanvitelli and Colli Aminei. On 5 April 2001, the line was extended to Museo, and Vanvitelli ceased to be the terminus.
The Sant'Anna funicular is a funicular railway in the Italian city of Genoa connecting the Piazza Portello, on the edge of the historic city centre, to the Corso Magenta. The line is one of several true funiculars in the city, including the Zecca–Righi funicular and the Quezzi funicular, although the Principe–Granarolo rack railway is also sometimes erroneously described as a funicular.
The Petraio is a lineal urban neighborhood and pedestrian road in Naples, Italy. It descends from what was once an expansive upper agricultural area and connects adjacent neighborhoods to downtown Naples — terminating just outside the original perimeter walls of Naples, near the present day Chiaia district.
The Montesanto station, in Naples, is a station located at the terminus of the Cumana and Circumflegrea railway lines, both of the former SEPSA.
Piazza Ferdinando Fuga, popularly known as piazzetta Fuga for its modest size and called during the fascist period piazza Franco Belfiore to commemorate a young fascist who fell fighting in a clash in 1921, is a square in Naples located in the Vomero district. It is dedicated to Ferdinando Fuga, the architect who made many of his main works in Naples, including the Girolamini church and the Real Albergo dei Poveri.
Di Vittorio will be a station on Line 1 of the Naples Metro and on Line 11 of the railway network managed by EAV. It is located in the Secondigliano district, between Piazza Giuseppe Di Vittorio and Viale Comandante Umberto Maddalena.