 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Rapido (1937 – 1940) Rapido (1946–1973) Trans Europ Express (TEE) (1973–1987) InterCity(IC) (1987–2005) |
| Locale | Italy |
| First service | 1937 |
| Last service | 11 December 2005 |
| Former operator(s) | Ferrovie dello Stato |
| Route | |
| Distance travelled | 839 km |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Electrification | 3000 V Direct Current (Italy) |
The Vesuvio was an express train in Italy, linking Milan and Naples. The train was named after Mount Vesuvius the volcano near Naples. [1]
The history of this train dates back as far as the 1930s, when Italy completed its first two high-speed lines, the Diretissima, one between Bologna and Florence and the other between Rome and Naples. High speed at that time meant 175 km/h and a new electric multiple unit, the Elettro Treno Rapido 200 (ETR 200), was developed with help of Turin University between 1934 and 1936. The ETR 200 was built by Breda in 1936 and entered service between Bologna and Naples in 1937, using the new lines and calling at Florence and Rome.
After World War II the service was resumed and named Freccia del Vesuvio (Vesuvian arrow) in the fifties. The ETR 200 stock was re-fitted to ETR 220/230/240 in the beginning of the 1960s provided with a fourth coach. The 1960 Olympics brought the ETR 250 and the Vesuvio was operated with ETR 220 and ETR 250 EMUs until the replacement by TEE Vesuvio. [2]
In 1969, the Ferrovie dello Stato decided to replace its Trans Europ Express (TEE) diesel multiple units with locomotive-hauled trains, after the German and French examples. [3] Because domestic TEEs had been allowed since 1965, the order for the Gran Conforto coaches was expanded, not only to replace the existing international TEEs but also to convert the high-end domestic services to TEE. The Freccia del Vesuvio was upgraded to TEE Vesuvio as soon as the new rolling stock was available, on 30 September 1973. The TEE Vesuvio was operated with E444 locomotives hauling Gran Conforto coaches. Notably, the Vesuvio conveyed two dining cars from 26 May 1974 until 30 September 1979. [4]
In 1987, the Vesuvio was converted into a two-class InterCity service [5] because it was not an international service and therefore couldn't qualify as EuroCity. The service continued as daily service until its replacement by the EuroStar Italia operated with ETR 500 electric multiple units using the 21st century high-speed lines.
The Aurora was a domestic Trans Europ Express in Italy linking Rome with Reggio di Calabria. The train was named after the Roman goddess of dawn, referring to the train's early morning departure from Rome.
The trainsets of Class VT 11.5 were diesel multiple units built by Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) in 1957 and used for Trans Europ Express (TEE) services. Perceived as flagships of the DB rolling stock, they carried first-class seating only. When the UIC numbering scheme became effective on 1 January 1968, the power heads of the trainsets were renamed to Class 601 whilst the middle cars became Class 901 according to the DB locomotive classification. They were used for TEE service from 1957 until 1972 and thereafter on German InterCity services.
The Blauer Enzian is a named express train service that currently runs between Frankfurt in Germany and Klagenfurt in Austria. Introduced in 1951, it originally ran via the German North–South railway line between Hamburg and Munich. Labelled as an international Trans Europ Express (TEE) train, it also linked with Zell am See and Klagenfurt in Austria from 1969. Trains were operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and its Deutsche Bahn successor, from 1970 also by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).
The Brabant was an express train that linked Gare du Nord in Paris, France, with Brussels-South in Brussels, Belgium. The train was named after the historical Duchy of Brabant of which Brussels was the capital.
The Diamant was an express train operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB), using different routes over the years. The name Diamant, Dutch for diamond, refers to the city of Antwerp, which is the European centre of diamond trade and has a diamond district. The initial service started in 1962 as a first-class-only FernTriebwagen linking the West-German capital Bonn with Antwerp, using a class DB Class VT 08 diesel multiple unit (DMU).
The Ligure was an international express train operated by the Italian Railways linking Milan with the Côte d'Azur. The train was named after the Italian region Liguria which was served by the train.
The Île de France was an international express train on the PBA route (Paris–Brussels–Amsterdam). The train was named after the French region surrounding Paris.
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 Lemano was an international express train linking Milan with Geneva. The train is named after Lake Geneva, the north shore of which was followed by the train over the lake's entire length. Introduced in 1958, it was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express service until 1982, and thereafter a two-class express train.
L'Oiseau Bleu was an international express train linking Antwerp with Paris. The train was named after the play L'Oiseau Bleu as a tribute to its author, the Belgian Nobel prize laureate Maurice Maeterlinck.
The Mont Cenis was an international express train linking Lyon in France with Milan in Italy. The train was named after the mountain range through which it crossed, inside the Fréjus Rail Tunnel on the French-Italian border.
Le Rhodanien, or the Rhodanien, was an express train with its southern terminus in Marseilles, France. Operated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français (SNCF), it was named using the French language adjective derived from the Rhone river; the name alludes, amongst other things, to the river, its valley, and the dialect of the Franco-Provençal language that is spoken there.
The Watteau was an express train that linked Gare du Nord in Paris, France, with Tourcoing in the North of France. The train was named after the French painter Antoine Watteau.
The Gayant was an express train that linked Gare du Nord in Paris, France, with Tourcoing in the department of Nord, also in France. The train was named after Gayant, the processional giant of Douai, France.
The Faidherbe was an express train that linked Gare du Nord in Paris, France, with Lille in the North of France. The train was named after the Lille born governor of Senegal, General Louis Faidherbe.
The Rhein–Main was an express train that linked Frankfurt am Main with Dortmund in Germany and later with Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The train was named after the two rivers, the Rhine and the Main, that join west of Frankfurt. For most of its life, it was a Trans Europ Express (TEE).
The Paris–Ruhr was an express train that linked Paris in France, with Dortmund in Germany. The train was named after its two termini, Paris in the west and the Ruhr district in the east. For most of its life, it was a Trans Europ Express (TEE).
The Parsifal was an express train that linked Paris with Dortmund in Germany and later Cologne. The train was named after Wagner's opera inspired by the legendary knight Percival.
The Adriatico was an express train operated by Ferrovie dello Stato, linking Milan and Bari. It was named for the Adriatic Sea, Mare Adriatico in Italian, as the train's route served the main cities along the shore of the Adriatic between Rimini and Bari.
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.
