Settebello (train)

Settebello
	The TEE Settebello at Milano Centrale in 1983
Overview
Service type	Rapido (1953–74); Trans Europ Express (TEE) (1974–84)
Status	Discontinued
Locale	Italy
First service	1953
Last service	2 June 1984
Successor	TEE Colosseum [1]
Former operator(s)	Ferrovie dello Stato (FS)
Route
Start	Milano Centrale
End	Roma Termini
Distance travelled	630 km (390 mi) [2]
Service frequency	Daily
On-board services
Class(es)	First class only
Catering facilities	Restaurant car, operated by Wagons-Lits [3] [4]
Observation facilities	Lounges at front and rear
Technical
Rolling stock	ETR 300-type EMU trainsets
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	3,000 V DC

Last updated February 21, 2019

The Settebello was a famous^[4] Italian high-speed express train that linked Milano Centrale in Milan with Roma Termini station in Rome, via Bologna and Florence. Introduced in 1953, it was operated by the Italian State Railways (FS) and used the distinctive ETR 300-type^[2]^[3]^[5] electric multiple unit trainsets, featuring observation lounges at the front and rear of the train. When introduced, it "set a standard of speed and luxurious travelling accommodation previously unknown in Italy [and] rivalling anything else on European rails."^[2] It was a Trans Europ Express (TEE) from 1974 until its withdrawal, in 1984.

Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping locally. In some cases, trains run express where there is overlapping local train service available, and run local at the tail ends of the line, where there is no supplemental local service. During overnight hours, or other times where it is practical, express trains may become local, but still running to where an express train would terminate.

Milano Centrale is the main railway station of the city of Milan, Italy and is the largest train station in Europe by volume. The station is a terminus and located at the northern end of central Milan. It was officially inaugurated in 1931 to replace the old central station, which was a transit station but with a limited number of tracks and space, so could not handle the increased traffic caused by the opening of the Simplon tunnel in 1906.

Roma Termini railway station Italian railway station

Roma Termini is the main railway station of Rome, Italy. It is named after the district of the same name, which in turn took its name from ancient Baths of Diocletian, which lie across the street from the main entrance.

History

Introduced in 1953, the Settebello (Italian: Il Settebello) provided high-speed luxury train service between Milan and Rome.^[2]^[4] Its name translates as "the beautiful seven"^[4] (or alternatively and more loosely as "the lucky seven")^[2] and was based on a popular Italian card game known as "Scopa" (it ), in which the seven-of-diamonds card carries the highest value.^[4] A drawing of nine playing cards, with the seven-of-diamonds card shown larger than all of the others, was painted on the side of the train next to its name.^[4]

Italian is a Romance language. Italian, together with Sardinian, is by most measures the closest language to Vulgar Latin of the Romance languages. Italian is an official language in Italy, Switzerland, San Marino and Vatican City. It has an official minority status in western Istria. It formerly had official status in Albania, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro (Kotor) and Greece, and is generally understood in Corsica and Savoie. It also used to be an official language in the former Italian East Africa and Italian North Africa, where it plays a significant role in various sectors. Italian is also spoken by large expatriate communities in the Americas and Australia. In spite of not existing any Italian community in their respective national territories and of not being spoken at any level, Italian is included de jure, but not de facto, between the recognized minority languages of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Romania. Many speakers of Italian are native bilinguals of both standardized Italian and other regional languages.

Rome is the capital city and a special comune of Italy. Rome also serves as the capital of the Lazio region. With 2,872,800 residents in 1,285 km² (496.1 sq mi), it is also the country's most populated comune. It is the fourth-most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. It is the centre of the Metropolitan City of Rome, which has a population of 4,355,725 residents, thus making it the most populous metropolitan city in Italy. Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, within Lazio (Latium), along the shores of the Tiber. The Vatican City is an independent country inside the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city: for this reason Rome has been often defined as capital of two states.

A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games. A small number of card games played with traditional decks have formally standardized rules, but most are folk games whose rules vary by region, culture, and person. Games using playing cards exploit the fact that cards are individually identifiable from one side only, so that each player knows only the cards he holds and not those held by anyone else. For this reason card games are often characterized as games of chance or “imperfect information”—as distinct from games of strategy or “perfect information,” where the current position is fully visible to all players throughout the game.

For its entire history Il Settebello was operated by electric multiple-unit trainsets of type ETR 300, and these sets consequently came to be known as "Settebello" type, as they were used exclusively on the Settebello during its period of operation. These trainsets featured rounded ends with passenger observation lounges, allowing passengers to sit at the very front and rear of the train.^[2] The operator's cab – or "command cabin" – was in a raised area behind and above the lounge compartment.^[2]^[4] The design made the train distinct from all other trains in Italy and all other high-speed trains of the time. Reservations were required for travel on the Settebello,^[6]^[7] but the seating in the observation areas was unreserved, allowing any passenger on the train to use it.^[2]

An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages. An EMU is usually formed of two or more semi-permanently coupled carriages, but electrically powered single-unit railcars are also generally classed as EMUs. The great majority of EMUs are passenger trains, but versions also exist for carrying parcels and mail.

The ETR 300, also known as "Settebello-type" for its use on the former Settebello train service, is a type of Italian fast electric multiple unit (EMU) trainset formerly operated by Ferrovie dello Stato. The letters ETR stood for elettrotreno rapido. Thanks to its aerodynamically low-drag profile, it boasted a maximum speed of 200 km/h (120 mph), with a power output of 2600 kW. Manufactured for FS by Breda, a total of only three trainsets were built, numbered ETR 301–303.

An observation car/carriage/coach is a type of railroad passenger car, generally operated in a passenger train as the last carriage, with windows on the rear of the car for passengers' viewing pleasure. The cars were nearly universally removed from service on American railroads beginning in the 1950s as a cost-cutting measure in order to eliminate the need to "turn" the trains when operating out of stub-end terminals.

The Settebello was originally a Rapido-class service of FS, and from the start it carried first-class coaches only. The seven-car train included a full restaurant car, operated by the Wagons-Lits Company. All cars were air-conditioned.^[2]^[8] In addition to the regular first-class ticket price, the cost of travelling on the luxury train Settebello carried an extra surcharge, or fare supplement.^[4]^[8] The surcharge alone was almost as much as the first-class fare, but afforded passengers a service "comparable to that of a five-star hotel",^[2] with amenities found on very few other day-journey trains of the time. These included an office where a traveller could "make a telephone call to anywhere in Italy" and the availability of shower facilities in the restrooms.^[2]

First class is the most luxurious travel class of seats and service on a train, passenger ship, airplane, bus, or other system of transport. It is usually more expensive than business class and economy class, and offers the best service and luxurious accommodation.

A dining car or a restaurant car, also a diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant.

Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, also CIWL, Compagnie des Wagons-Lits, or just Wagons-Lits, is an international hotel and travel logistics company, particularly known for its on-train catering and sleeping car services, as well as being the historical operator of the Orient Express.

Name and "Settebello" card game logo on side of train

The train became a Trans Europ Express (TEE) service on 26 May 1974.^[9] It was TEE number 69 southbound and 68 northbound, and in both directions it was the morning TEE serving the Milan–Rome route, which had three TEE trains per day in each direction.^[5] During its pre-TEE years, the Settebello had been an evening or midday service, departing Milan at 5:45 p.m. and Rome around 10:30 a.m.,^[6]^[7]^[8] and the Milan–Rome trips at those times of day were taken over by a different TEE, the Ambrosiano , upon the Settebello's designation as a TEE.^[7]

The Trans Europ Express, or Trans-Europe Express (TEE), is a former international first-class railway service in western and central Europe that was founded in 1957 and ceased in 1995. At the height of its operations, in 1974, the TEE network comprised 45 trains, connecting 130 different cities, from Spain in the west to Austria in the east, and from Denmark to Southern Italy.

The Ambrosiano was a national (domestic) Italian express train which connected Rome with Milan. The name refers to the patron saint of Milan. For its first 13 years it was a Trans Europ Express (TEE) service.

Scenery along the route included mountain views on the ascent to the 18.4 km (11.4 mi) Apennine Tunnel, on the Bologna–Florence section.^[2] On 3 June 1984, the Settebello was renamed Colosseum ,^[1] which did not use the class-ETR 300 trainsets.

The Apennine Base Tunnel is a railway base tunnel 18.507 km long on the Bologna-Florence Direttissima line in central Italy. The tunnel was opened on 21 April 1934 shortening the rail connection by 35 km compared to the old Porrettana railway over the mountain range. At the time, it was the world's second longest tunnel after the Simplon Tunnel, and the longest built with double track; today it is the 16th longest in the world.

The Colosseum was an express train initially linking Rome and Milan, later Frankfurt am Main. The train was named after the Amphitheatrum Flavium, renowned as the Colosseum.

Speed and travel time

Preserved ex-Settebello trainset in 2003 ETR.302.jpg — Preserved ex-*Settebello* trainset in 2003

The full journey between Milan and Rome took a little more than six hours in 1963.^[4]^[6] By 1974, when the train became a Trans-Europe Express, the trip was scheduled to take only 5 hours, 45 minutes, in both directions,^[9] and by 1977 the travel time had been reduced by another 10 minutes.^[10]

As of 1964, the train's top speed in normal operation was 150 kilometres per hour (93 mph), but it was authorized for speeds of up to 160 km/h.^[4] The portion of the route with the fastest average speed was the Milano–Bologna section, averaging 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph).^[2] The average speed over the entire journey, including stops, was 113.9 km/h (70.8 mph), as of 1978. Work under way in the mid-1970s on upgrading of the line was predicted to allow Settebello's normal top speed to be increased to about 160 km/h (99 mph).^[2]

Related Research Articles

The Rheingold ('Rhinegold') was a named train that operated between Hoek van Holland, near Rotterdam, and Geneva, Switzerland, a distance of 1,067 kilometres (663 mi), until 1987. Another section of the train started in Amsterdam and was coupled to the Hoek cars in Utrecht. The Rheingold ran along the Rhine River via Arnhem, Netherlands, and Cologne, Germany, using special luxury coaches. It was named after Richard Wagner's Das Rheingold opera, which romanticized the Rhine. From 1965 until the train's discontinuation in 1987, the Rheingold was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express (TEE) train.

The Bavaria was an express train that linked München Hbf in Munich, Germany, with Zürich HB in Zurich, Switzerland. Introduced in the 1950s, it ran through to Geneva until 1969, when it was cut back to Zurich. The train was named on the basis that Bavaria is the Latin equivalent to the German word Bayern, the official name of the federal state of Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital. It was operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn / Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS). The route also included a single stop in Austria, at Bregenz. The 24 km (15 mi) section between Lindau, Germany, and St. Margrethen, Switzerland, is located mostly in Austria, but Swiss locomotives hauled the train over this section, most of which is part of the Vorarlberg line of Austrian Federal Railways.

The Arbalète was an express train that linked Paris-Est in Paris, France, with Zürich HB in Zurich, Switzerland. Introduced in 1957, it was operated by the SNCF and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS).

The Cisalpin was an express train that linked Paris-Gare de Lyon in Paris, France, with Milano Centrale in Milan, Italy. Introduced in 1961, it was operated by the SNCF, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS) and the Italian State Railways (FS).

The Iris is an express train that links Brussels Midi/Zuid in Brussels, Belgium, with Chur station in Chur, Switzerland.

The Goethe was an express train that, for most of its existence, linked Paris-Est in Paris, France, with Frankfurt Hbf in Frankfurt, Germany. Introduced in 1970, it was operated by the SNCF and the Deutsche Bundesbahn / Deutsche Bahn (DB).

The Edelweiss was an international express train. For most of its existence, it linked the Netherlands with Switzerland, via Belgium, Luxembourg and France. Introduced in 1928, it was named after a mountain flower, the Edelweiss, which is associated with alpinism and the Alps, and regarded as a symbol of Switzerland.

Le Mistral, or the Mistral, was an express train between Paris and Nice in France. Introduced in 1950, it was operated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français (SNCF), and was regarded as the company's flagship train.

The Albert Schweitzer was a short-lived express train that linked Dortmund Hbf in Dortmund, Germany, with Strasbourg-Ville in Strasbourg, France. Introduced in 1980, it was operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and the SNCF.

The Roland was an express train that ran in Germany. For part of its existence, it was also an international train. Introduced in 1939, suspended during World War II, and reintroduced in 1952, it was operated in Germany by the Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft (DRG), the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and the Deutsche Bahn (DB), respectively.

Le Capitole was an express train between Paris and Toulouse in France. Introduced in 1960, it was operated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français (SNCF). It was also the SNCF’s first foray into high-speed commercial service above 160 km/h (99 mph).

The Étoile du Nord was an international express train. It linked Paris Nord in Paris, France, with Brussels, Belgium, and, for most of its existence, also with Amsterdam CS in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Its name meant literally "Star of the North", and alluded not only to its route heading north from Paris, but also to one of its original operators, the Chemin de Fer du Nord.

The Gottardo was an express train that, for most of its existence, linked Zurich, Switzerland, with Milan, Italy. Introduced in 1961, it was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express (TEE) until 1988, then becoming a EuroCity service and finally a EuroNight service – on a longer route, to Rome – before being discontinued in 2002. The train followed the Gotthard railway and was named for the line, using the Italian spelling for it, Ferrovia del Gottardo.

The word Mediolanum has been used to name three distinct international express trains that have run to and from Milano Centrale in Milan, Italy since 1957. The focus of these trains on the city now known as Milan reflects the fact that Mediolanum is the Latin word for ancient Milan.

The Catalan Talgo was an international express train introduced in 1969 that linked Geneva, Switzerland, with Barcelona, Spain. It was named after the Spanish region Catalonia and the Talgo equipment it used. It was an extension and upgrading of a predecessor train, Le Catalan, a first-class-only French (SNCF) Rapide train that had been in operation since 1955 but running only between Geneva and the stations nearest the Spanish-French border, connecting with a second-class-only "autorail" trainset to and from Barcelona. The national railway network of Spain, Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles (RENFE), was using Iberian gauge for all of its main lines, while those of France and Switzerland use standard gauge. As a result of this break-of-gauge, train journeys between Geneva and Barcelona consisted of two separate parts, with travelers having to change from a French to a Spanish train or vice versa at the border—at Portbou on southbound trains and at Cerbère on northbound trains. In 1968, this was resolved with the introduction of the Talgo III RD trainsets, which featured variable gauge wheelsets. At Portbou station, the wheel spacing of each passenger carriage was adjusted by a gauge changer for the difference in gauge, and passengers no longer had to change trains. After successful test runs, the Catalan was extended from Port Bou to Barcelona as a through train on 1 June 1969, becoming the Catalan Talgo and upgraded to a Trans Europ Express (TEE). Most other rail journeys through this border crossing continued to require a change of train at Cerbère station or at Port Bou, as most trains did not use Talgo III RD trainsets.

The Étendard was an express train that linked Paris and Bordeaux in France. Introduced in 1968, it was operated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français (SNCF), and was initially a Rapide.

The Ticino was an express train that linked Milan in Italy, with Zürich, Switzerland and for some years even to Munich, Germany. The train was named after the Canton of Ticino in the south of Switzerland. Introduced in 1961, it was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express (TEE) service until 1974. Later, it was a EuroCity service.

References

1 2 "Summer services, 1984" (changes taking effect). Thomas Cook Continental Timetable (May 1–June 2, 1984 edition), p. 64; also pp. 65–66. Peterborough, UK: Thomas Cook Publishing.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Nock, O.S. (1978). "The Settebello: speed and luxury", in World Atlas of Railways, pp. 118–119. New York: Mayflower Books (original publisher: Artists House, London, UK). ISBN 0-8317-9500-X.
1 2 Thomas Cook Continental Timetable (July 1976 edition), p. 73. Peterborough, UK: Thomas Cook Publishing.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Bainbridge, John (April 18, 1964). "Our Man on the Settebello". The New Yorker . Condé Nast: 41. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
1 2 Thomas Cook International Timetable (September 27–October 31, 1981 edition), p. 69.
1 2 3 Cooks Continental Timetable (February 1963 edition), pp. 209, 211. London: Thomas Cook & Son, Ltd.
1 2 3 "Table 29: Settebello". Cooks Continental Timetable (March 29–April 25, 1974 edition), p. 76. London: Thomas Cook & Son, Ltd.
1 2 3 "Table 48: Settebello", Cooks Continental Timetable (February 1967 edition), p. 69. Thomas Cook & Son, Ltd.
1 2 "Summer services, 1974" (changes taking effect). Cooks Continental Timetable (March 29–April 25, 1974 edition), p. 465.
↑ Thomas Cook International Timetable (May 22–June 30, 1977 edition), p. 70.

External links

Media related to TEE Settebello at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[cooks1984may-1] 1 2 "Summer services, 1984" (changes taking effect). Thomas Cook Continental Timetable (May 1–June 2, 1984 edition), p. 64; also pp. 65–66. Peterborough, UK: Thomas Cook Publishing.

[nock1978-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Nock, O.S. (1978). "The Settebello: speed and luxury", in World Atlas of Railways, pp. 118–119. New York: Mayflower Books (original publisher: Artists House, London, UK). ISBN 0-8317-9500-X.

[cooks1976jul-3] 1 2 Thomas Cook Continental Timetable (July 1976 edition), p. 73. Peterborough, UK: Thomas Cook Publishing.

[newyorker-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Bainbridge, John (April 18, 1964). "Our Man on the Settebello". The New Yorker . Condé Nast: 41. Retrieved February 25, 2013.

[cooks1981sep27-5] 1 2 Thomas Cook International Timetable (September 27–October 31, 1981 edition), p. 69.

[cooks1963feb-6] 1 2 3 Cooks Continental Timetable (February 1963 edition), pp. 209, 211. London: Thomas Cook & Son, Ltd.

[cooks1974apr-7] 1 2 3 "Table 29: Settebello". Cooks Continental Timetable (March 29–April 25, 1974 edition), p. 76. London: Thomas Cook & Son, Ltd.

[cooks1967feb-8] 1 2 3 "Table 48: Settebello", Cooks Continental Timetable (February 1967 edition), p. 69. Thomas Cook & Son, Ltd.

[cooks1974apr-465-9] 1 2 "Summer services, 1974" (changes taking effect). Cooks Continental Timetable (March 29–April 25, 1974 edition), p. 465.

[cooks1977may-june-10] Thomas Cook International Timetable (May 22–June 30, 1977 edition), p. 70.