Menaggio–Porlezza railway

Last updated
Menaggio–Porlezza railway
Overview
StatusClosed and removed
Locale Province of Como, Lombardy, Italy
Termini Menaggio
Porlezza
Stations7
Services1
Operation
Opened1873
Closed1939
Technical
Line length12 km (7.5 mi)
Track gauge 850 mm (2 ft 9 15⁄32 in)
Route map
Mappa ferr Menaggio-Porlezza.png

The Menaggio–Porlezza railway (Italian : Ferrovia Menaggio-Porlezza) was a railway in the Italian province of Como. The line connected the town of Menaggio, on Lake Como, with Porlezza, on Lake Lugano, and was built as part of a multi-modal transport link between Menaggio and Luino, on Lake Maggiore. [1] [2]

Italian language Romance language

Italian is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family. 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.

Italy republic in Southern Europe

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe. Located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and the enclaved microstates San Marino and Vatican City, as well as a maritime border with Croatia. Italy covers an area of 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi) and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. With around 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth-most populous EU member state and the most populous country in Southern Europe.

Province of Como Province of Italy

The Province of Como is a province in the north of the Lombardy region of Italy and borders the Swiss cantons of Ticino and Grigioni to the North, the Italian provinces of Sondrio and Lecco to the East, the Province of Monza and Brianza to the south and the Province of Varese to the West. The city of Como is its capital — other large towns, with more than 10,000 inhabitants, include Cantù, Erba, Mariano Comense and Olgiate Comasco. Campione d'Italia also belongs to the province and is enclaved in the Swiss canton of Ticino.

Contents

History

Previous plans to link Menaggio and Luino envisaged an international railway via the Swiss city of Lugano, running for much of its length alongside Lake Lugano. However difficulties in financing the proposal, and the substantial engineering works that would be required alongside the lake, led to a revised plan which was eventually implemented. This involved the construction of two unconnected railways, both entirely located within Italy. The Menaggio–Porlezza railway and the Ponte Tresa–Luino railway  [ it ] were linked by the use of steamboats, between Porlezza and Ponte Tresa on Lake Lugano, to form the desired through route. [1] [2]

Switzerland federal republic in Central Europe

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a country situated in western, central, and southern Europe. It consists of 26 cantons, and the city of Bern is the seat of the federal authorities. The sovereign state is a federal republic bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning a total area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million people is concentrated mostly on the plateau, where the largest cities are to be found: among them are the two global cities and economic centres Zürich and Geneva.

Lugano Place in Ticino, Switzerland

Lugano is a city in southern Switzerland in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino bordering Italy. It has a population of 63,494, and an urban agglomeration of over 145,000. The 9th largest Swiss city, it is the largest in Ticino and largest with an Italian speaking majority outside of Italy. The city lies on Lake Lugano, surrounded by the mountains of the Lugano Prealps. The eastern part of the city shares a border with Italy.

Lake Lugano lake in Switzerland and Italy

Lake Lugano is a glacial lake which is situated on the border between southern Switzerland and Northern Italy. The lake, named after the city of Lugano, is situated between Lake Como and Lago Maggiore. It was cited for the first time by Gregory of Tours in 590 with the name Ceresio, a name which is said to have derived from the Latin word cerasus, meaning cherry, and refers to the abundance of cherry trees which at one time adorned the shores of the lake. The lake appears in documents in 804 under the name Laco Luanasco.

The Società di Navigazione e Ferrovie per lago di Lugano (SNF) was formed in 1873 to construct and operate this transport link. Although both ends of this link were in Italy, the company was created with Swiss finance, and headquartered in Lugano. The line was constructed to a gauge of 850 millimetres (2.79 ft), and was operated with steam locomotives. [1] [2]

Steam locomotive railway locomotive that produces its pulling power through a steam engine

A steam locomotive is a type of railway locomotive that produces its pulling power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning combustible material – usually coal, wood, or oil – to produce steam in a boiler. The steam moves reciprocating pistons which are mechanically connected to the locomotive's main wheels (drivers). Both fuel and water supplies are carried with the locomotive, either on the locomotive itself or in wagons (tenders) pulled behind.

The outbreak of World War I lead to a considerable loss of traffic and consequent financial problems, and the SNF decided to sell its railways and concentrate on operating its steamboat services on Lake Lugano. Both lines were sold to the Società Varesina per le Imprese Elettriche (SVIE) in 1919. After the sale, the SNF changed its name to the Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano (SNL). The SNL still exists, operating shipping and bus services on and around Lake Lugano. [3] [4]

World War I 1914–1918 global war originating in Europe

World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.

Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano organization

The Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano or Lake Lugano Navigation Company (SNL) is a Swiss company operating passenger services on Lake Lugano. The company also operates bus routes in the same area, and is based at Cassarate in the city of Lugano. It was formerly known as the Società di Navigazione e Ferrovie per lago di Lugano and at one time also operated railways in the area.

Whilst the Ponte Tresa–Luino railway was assimilated into the SVIE's existing network of electric railways that already served Luino, the Menaggio–Porlezza was isolated from the rest of the SVIE network. Plans to electrify it never came to fruition, and the SVIE arranged for the creation of a separate company (the Società Anonima Prealpina di Trasporto or SPT) which was jointly owned by the SVIE, Ferrovie Nord Milano and the Commercial Bank of Milan. [3]

Ferrovie Nord Milano Italian public transport railway company

Ferrovie Nord Milano is an Italian public transport company: the second largest railway company in Italy. It operates primarily in the northern Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont and in Canton Ticino in southern Switzerland. Listed on the Borsa Italiana, its main shareholders are the Lombardy Region (57.57%), Ferrovie dello Stato (14.5%) and Aurelia S.p.A. (3%).

Traffic continued to decline, and road improvements meant that bus services could offer faster and cheaper journeys than the train. The line closed in 1939, although World War II delayed disposal of the line. Attempts to reopen the line after the war were unsuccessful, and the trackbed and buildings were all disposed of by 1966. [3]

World War II 1939–1945 global war

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Menaggio - Porlezza Railway 1884-1966 - Construction". Richard Marshall. Archived from the original on 2013-01-11. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Menaggio - Porlezza Railway". Richard Marshall. 2015-04-28. Archived from the original on 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Menaggio - Porlezza Railway 1884-1966 - The Train Service 1918-1939". Richard Marshall. Archived from the original on 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  4. ↑ "La Ferrovia Menaggio-Porlezza" [The Railway Menaggio Porlezza] (in Italian). Comune di Bene Lario. Archived from the original on 2017-05-30. Retrieved 2017-05-30.

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