1266i

INTERNATIONAL SUPPLEMENT TO BLN 1266 08 OCTOBER 2016

BRANCH LINE NEWS
INTERNATIONAL

This newsletter covers the World outside the British Isles from information
supplied by members.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Compilers or of the Society.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS TEAM:-
International Editor (to whom all email and postal contributions should be sent):
Paul Griffin, 7 School Bell Mews, Church Lane, Stoneleigh, COVENTRY, CV8 3ZZ
Email: [email protected]

Deputy International Editor: Derek Woodward, 68 Church Street, Matlock, DERBY, DE4 3BY

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Le Petit Train Touristique Pointe de Grave Le Verdon Soulac runs from Point le Grave, the northern extremity of Médoc, for
7km to Soulac. At one point the narrow gauge line passes through an area of dunes parallel with the Atlantic coast. Trains
are formed of former SNCF man-riders with an open coach between them.

EUROPE
[386] Austria – Deviation under construction on the Stubaitalbahn
A deviation to replace a bridge and a tunnel dating from the line's opening in 1904 is currently under
construction on the Stubaitalbahn light rail line from Innsbruck to Fulpmes. The section being replaced is
between the stops Nockhofweg (km 7.700) and Raitis (km 8.690) and will cross a river valley directly on a

new 153m long and 68m tall bridge whereas the original line takes a longer curved route partly in tunnel. It
will shorten the line by approximately 270m and is due to open 25 September 2017.

[387] Czech Republic – Line 097 to reopen, but not until 2019
SZDC is to reopen the damaged section of the Lovosice to Teplich v Cechach line. Currently buses run
Lovosice to Radejin due to landslide damage. However with reopening not planned until 2019 there is
obviously scope to cancel or defer the project.

[388] Czech Republic – Electrified garden railway in Moravia
Although it calls itself a garden railway, the railway built by the Železnice 600 group at Vracov is actually
more like a park railway. Vracov is one station before Bzenec on the Brno - Veselí nad Moravou line, table
340. Construction of the 600mm gauge railway began in summer 2007 and the original 20 metres of track
had increased to 250 metres by spring 2008 and to 500 metres by spring 2014. Amazingly the line has
working overhead electrification and the group have even built their own locomotives and have two sets
of carriages capable of carrying 90 passengers. There are two stations.
Their website is at: http://www.zeleznice600.cz/
A map showing how to get to the railway from the station can be found at:
http://www.zeleznice600.cz/images/mapy/mapa_web_1.jpg
A video of the railway on an operating day is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4-ceAtVCXo
Operating days at found at http://www.zeleznice600.cz/provoz.htm, but are not currently loaded for 2016.

[389] Denmark – Gedser Remise
After many years of euro-gricing, slowly filling in the European network, there comes a time when those
pieces of track remaining sometimes require unusual measures to fit into an itinerary. In this particular
case our member needed to be in Denmark on two consecutive weekends, but with insufficient gricing
interest anywhere nearby to fill in the intervening week. Plenty to do however in Italy, some of it on dated
trains. The obvious solution was to fly from Denmark to Italy then back again, and, in an era of cheap
flights with København (Copenhagen) to Roma (Rome) only £25, this made economic sense as well. The
first step for our member was therefore to fly from Luton to København, spend the night there, then make
his way to Nykøbing (Falster) using a 10 day InterRail global pass.
The 23km railway line from Nykøbing Falster to Gedser opened as part of an international rail link between
Berlin and Warnemünde for train ferry to Gedser and train onward to København (Copenhagen). The last
train to Germany ran in 1995, but local traffic lingered on, though by 2008 it was down to one train pair a
day (which is often compared with a British parliamentary train service) and the last passenger train ran in
December 2009. Since then the line has seen some use as a test track, but was otherwise allowed to
deteriorate with the possibility of final closure never far away. For the last few years however the
preservation group Gedser Remise have been running several special trains each year over the line. They
also have a museum in the roundhouse at Gedser which is open 11:00-16:00 from 18 June to 31 August as
well as for a few days in October. Admission is 35 kroner. The weekend of 13 and 14 August was the
Gedser Festival and four train pairs operated each day in conjunction with this. The first train was at 10:08
and our member was present when the stock came out of the sidings and ran into platform 7, despite
being shown as departing from platform 1. It was formed of 2 axle single railcar Mc651 (built in Odense,

1928), a small wooden bodied coach, a goods van prominently labelled Tuborg, and another 2 axle railcar,
wooden bodied NPMB Nr.7.

The 10:08 Nykøbing Falster to Gedser featured a real veteran in the form of wooden bodied railcar Mc651 built in 1928. The train is
seen here at Nykøbing Falster.

About 35 people boarded the train, including a member of the IBSE committee! It’s amazing where you
bump into people. The line has no scenic highlights, passing as it does through a flat countryside of large
fields, and is rather straight. There were four intermediate stations of which only two were glimpsed.
Mc651 was clearly not in the best of health, or perhaps the 150 hp engine was struggling with the three
vehicle load. There were ominous grinding noises and a real struggle to get moving again after stops at
crossings which were rather worrying, but the train duly arrived in Gedser after about an hour. Almost
everybody wandered off the platform, over the turntable and into the roundhouse. The 100 DKK return
fare appeared to include entry to the museum as well! Rather a bargain, and there was plenty to see. The
former train ferry berth is a short distance behind the roundhouse, but the tracks have been lifted.
The return journey at 12:38 was uneventful, NPMB Nr. 7 coping better than Mc651, possibly because the
Tuborg van had been removed, and running into platform 1 at Nykøbing Falster. It seems likely that trains
will run in 2017, so keep an eye on gedserremise.dk

The old roundhouse at Gedser is now home to the Bevaringsforeningen Gedser Remise (Preservation Society Gedser
Remise) and is open as a museum in the summer.

[390] France – Bad news for boules
Old railway timber sleepers have long been part of the decoration of French towns. Not only the local
authorities but also many individuals have bought them from SNCF to decorate walkways etc. But heavy
users are boules players who use them to mark out their pitches. However, since a decision about
hazardous industrial waste taken by the EU in January 2001 (and apparently only just noticed by the ever-
law abiding French), reuse of such railway sleepers is illegal. The reason is their treatment with creosote, a
carcinogenic insecticide.

[391] Germany – Gaschwitz being rebuilt
A member passed by Gaschwitz station in the south of Leipzig. Platforms and track are being rebuilt
immediately to the west of the current site. It looks like the whole station and approaches north and south
are being moved bodily to the west.

[392] Germany – The Heidelberg Funicular
The Heidelberg Funicular is a two-section line, linking the historic city centre with the castle and the
Königstuhl hill. Heidelberger Stadtrat granted a concession in 1888 for its construction and the lower
section, from Kornmarkt up to Molkenkur, opened in 1890. This operated on the water ballast system, but
it was worked electrically from 1905. In the same year work started on the upper section, from Molkenkur
to Königstuhl, which opened in 1907, also electrically-worked. The lower section was modernised in 1961

and the entire line was updated between 1997 and 2003. The original wooden cars on the upper section
were retained, but with modern control and safety equipment. Both lines are metre gauge and are
operated by Stadtwerke Heidelberg GmbH. The lower section is 489 metres long and rises 173 metres.
Kornmarkt station is located within the structure of a modern hotel and car park building. The line is
almost entirely within the building or a tunnel up to the passing loop.
There is a station, Schloss, at the loop, resulting in visitors to the castle giving this funicular much heavier
traffic on its lower half than its upper half. The cars on this section date from the 1997-2003
modernisation. The upper section is over twice as long, at 1,020 metres, and rises 260 metres. It has no
intermediate stops. The original station buildings remain in use at Molkenkur and Königstuhl. Königstuhl is
550 metres above sea level and provides fine views over Heidelberg and the Odenwald when the weather
is fine. However, it is quite possible for it to be a fine sunny day in Heidelberg while Königstuhl is cloud-
covered. The machinery room at Königstuhl can sometimes be visited and there is a small museum in the
waiting room, devoted to the railway and to Heidelberg’s tram system. The summer service operates daily
09:00 to 20:00, with a ten-minute frequency on the lower section and departures every twenty minutes on
the upper section. The nearest DB station is Heidelberg-Altstadt.

[393] Greece - Kalamáta to Messini trains ended by flooding?
Although most of the Peloponnese metre gauge system is not currently in use, one section that did see
regular trains was Kalamáta to Messini where every September since official closure of the line in 2009,
special trains ran in connection with the Messinian Feast and litany of the miraculous image of Virgin Mary
of the Monastery of Voulkano. A member travelled to Greece in September, partly for the purpose of
travelling on this line, but found that the line has clearly had problems with flooding. There is what
appears to be a culvert washout at Messini station throat, with the rails hanging in the air. The rails are
covered in mud or other debris in many places on the line. So, trains definitely not running in 2017 and a
very uncertain future for the branch.

Left: Locomotives are banned
from the branch to Messini, so
the PTG Peloponnese tour of
October 2014 had to use a MAN
DMU. The station building is a
private dwelling now.

Left: The station building still carries a
rather strange looking timetable for the
branch. The times can just be made out and
have been painted over the times of an
earlier timetable.

[394] Poland - Branch in western Poland to reopen for freight
Just south of Żary, on the line to Węgliniec, is the junction station of Jankowa Żagańska. From the east a
freight line arrives from Żagań, while to the west is the former line to Przewóz and Sanice (at 39.771km),
which used to continue over what is now the German border to Horka. Passenger traffic ended in 1981/84
and the last freight ran over the remaining portion of the line in 2001. Now the line is to be renovated for
freight traffic and a speed of 60km/h. The work commenced on 19 February 2016 and should be complete
by 3 December 2019. There may also be military traffic to a military base at Potok, which is on a short
branch from Przewóz.
[395] Poland – Recent changes to tram routes in Kraków and Katowice
The new tram and cycle/footbridge over Kraków Płaszów station is a very impressive and a lengthy
suspension structure. It has a tram stop on it called Dworzec Płaszów Estakada which is linked to the
platforms by stairs and lifts. There are triangles at both ends and all sides are in regular passenger service.
Katowice trams. The long term closed route 9 looping south from Chebzie Pętla to Chorzów Baltyka and
route 3 from Zabrze to Makoszowy Pętla have reopened and from travelling the lines (both highly

recommended) our member is guessing that closure was due to construction of the same motorway as
they both cross it, one over, one under. Route 18 from Chebzie to Bytom via Ruda remains closed and from
talking with an IBSE member on the preceding railtour it seems likely that this is permanent.
The layout at Chorzów Ratusz/Rynek has totally changed. A road now goes right across the Rynek on a
flyover with the previous terminating tracks on the west side (Ratusz) re-routed to the east side, so routes
9/20 now terminate right alongside the north – south Bytom to Katowice route stop at Rynek. The two
groups of tracks are too close together to be connected as a loop so it is now impossible for route 11 from
the north to terminate here. Accordingly it has been extended to Katowice. The connections between the
two sets of tracks prevent direct interchange between routes as before so perhaps more changes are still
to be done here.

[396] Russia (European) – Moscow ring opens
The Moscow Central Ring was opened on 10 September. The main opening ceremony took place at
Luzhniki, but a total of 28 trains departed simultaneously from 14 stations at 14:00. Modernisation and
electrification of the 54 km former freight line encircling Moscow city centre started in 2011. Several
freight yards were dismantled and some connections to radial lines were removed. Freight services on the
Central Ring are now restricted to night-time hours. Initially, 26 of the 31 stations have been opened, with
the remaining five due to follow later this year. One circuit of the ring takes 84 minutes. Most of the line
runs above ground, with only a short section around Ploshchad Gagarina in tunnel. Many of the stations
offer interchange with existing or future metro lines, although the ring line’s stations are physically
separate. Walking distances between metro and ring line stations range from 2 to 12 minutes. The fleet of
33 five-car class ES2G Lastochka electric multiple-units is stabled at the Podmoskovnaya depot on the
Rizhskaya Railway, which is accessible via a newly electrified line from Panfilovskaya station, formerly
known as Khodynka.

[397] Serbia and Montenegro - Trip report 19-26 July (Part 1)
After two members first attempt in May 2014 to reach Bar had ended in disaster when the line was closed
by severe flooding that occurred on the very night that they arrived in Beograd, they decided the time was
right to have a second attempt at travelling the Beograd to Bar line. This time though they would spend a
whole week in the region and include some branch lines in the heart of Serbia as well. They knew the
weather would be pretty hot in July but the normal routing for the Beograd to Bar service via Valjevo
would only be available during the summer months with the train being diverted via Lapovo outside this
period due to engineering works. It’s fair to say that the trip turned into something of an endurance test:
Tuesday 19 July.
After clearing immigration and customs at Beograd our members caught the bus to the main railway
station and their nearby hotel, the Belgrade City. Before checking in they had a look around the station and
noted two of the new Stadler FLIRT EMUs (of which there are now 21 in service) which they have managed
to keep graffiti-free in stark contrast to older Serbian stock and which therefore looked quite smart. Whilst
checking in they asked the hotel receptionist about the Belgrade Waterfront project which is a huge
regeneration project that will see the closure of the main station, and he suggested that could happen as
soon as next year.
Wednesday 20 July.

The plan for the day couldn't be simpler, the 09:10 service all the way from Beograd to Bar with a
scheduled arrival time of 20:31. Tickets had been purchased the previous evening and they had been told
that there was no first class seating on the train, neither would there be any restaurant service. However
when the stock arrived it did include first class coaches which were apparently declassified for the journey,
and it did include a restaurant car! The formation was 7 coaches comprising an RZD sleeper (from
Moscow), a CD sleeper (from Praha), 2 ZPCG FKs (air conditioned and apparently well maintained), a SB
restaurant, SB CK and SB FK (SB is the new Serbian passenger operator following the split of ZS last year).
Their reservations were in the SB CK which was in a poor state of repair and they tried our luck instead in
one of the air conditioned FKs since the service does not have compulsory reservations, however none of
the seats were marked with reservations and they were soon turfed out by a family group that had the
seats in that compartment. They therefore reluctantly went back to their assigned seats in the "fresh air"
CK coach. The start was just a couple of minutes late behind electric loco 441-707 and the journey was
uneventful for the first 4½ hours as far as Branesci, where they started a very slow trundle all the way to
Prijepolje, due it seemed to the condition of the track. Including a stop of nearly 20 minutes at Priboj
waiting to pass the northbound service from Bar which was just over half an hour late, they lost a total of
44 minutes on this section. There didn't appear to be any temporary speed restrictions and they came to
the conclusion that the timetable was constructed for a faster line speed than in fact was the case and was
therefore unachievable. One benefit though was that they chose this period to take advantage of the
restaurant car and each enjoyed a salad followed by a chicken steak dish.
Customs and immigration controls were performed at Vrbnica (Serbia) and Bijelo Polje (Montenegro) and
at the latter the Serbian loco was replaced by Montenegran loco 461-029. As they headed further and
further south so the scenery got more and more spectacular, the line climbs up to around 1000 metres and
at times was perched on a shelf high up on a mountain side some 500 to 600 metres above the valley
below, before crossing the Mala Rijeka viaduct which held the accolade of the world's tallest viaduct until
2001. The downhill run towards Podgorica apparently has gradients of up to 1 in 25 so they could
understand why PTG Tours had been keen on running a diesel hauled special over the line. The train
remained at around 50 minutes late until Kolasin but then lost another chunk of time between there and
Podgorica without any apparent out of course reason, so they eventually arrived at Bar 73 minutes late at
21:44 in darkness. Their hotel here, the Princess, was at the opposite end of the town from the railway
station which necessitated the use of a taxi, which was no problem and cost all of €5. With such a late
arrival they were very thankful for being able to eat on the train.

[398] Sweden – Observations from the PTG South West Sweden railtour (part 1)
The Föreningen Smalspåret Växjö-Västervik is a museum railway operating on the remaining part of the
southern section of the former Västervik – Växjö 891 mm gauge railway. There are two discrete
operations. Draisine cycling is available between Hultsfred and Målilla sanatorium, a distance of about
12km. The draisines start from the end of a road by the lakeside which is about 1.15km south of the SJ
station, so anyone looking for overlap with the northern part of the railway which runs from Hultsfred to
Västervik will be disappointed. A one way hire had been negotiated and 16 of the PTG group cycled to
Målilla taking about 75 minutes.

The narrow gauge line from Hultsfred to Åseda initially runs parallel with the standard gauge line from Hultsfred to Berga
and Oskarshamn before rising and crossing over it to head south west.

From Målilla sanatorium to Virserum the trackbed is overgrown and awaiting renovation, so a coach was
waiting to take them to Virserum. From Virserum museum trains run to Åseda, a distance of approximately
27km. Draisines are also available. The platform at Åseda is in the site of the old goods yard some 50
metres south of the station building. The narrow gauge tracks continue for a further 330 metres along the
Växjö line, then end by a road bridge at buffer stops. The former standard gauge line to Vetlanda runs
alongside the narrow gauge before heading to Vetlanda. Despite this line’s excellent condition, it is to be
lifted in 2017. Changes are also happening to the narrow gauge railway in 2017. The present layout from
the eastern end of the station area is to be swept away by redevelopment. Instead the narrow gauge line
from the eastern end of the station will be re-laid on part of the original alignment to the station building,
but will end 150-200 metres short of it. The PTG tour covered all of the present narrow gauge layout.
Farewell activities are apparently planned next year.

330 metres beyond the present platform at Åseda the former line to Växjö ends at a wagon just before buffer stops. The
standard gauge line to Vetlanda is on the left. Both will disappear in 2017.

On the Södra stambanan (southern main line) south of Nässjö is the small town of Stockaryd. South of
Stockaryd station a triangular junction gives access to two short branches serving a timber loading facility
built in 2008. From the start of the north to west curve to the end of the southern branch is 1.22km, and it
is a similar distance from the end of the northern branch to the west to south curve, with a short common
section. No less than four reversing movements of the PTG locomotive hauled train were needed to cover
all the lines and get back to the start of the north to west curve for onward travel to the south. Only the
first part of each branch is electrified to ensure that timber loading vehicles do not contact overhead lines,
and there are no run round loops, so propelling is the normal method of operation. The southernmost
branch is owned by a company who load timber onto their own trains. The northernmost line is operated
by a different company who charge a fee for any railway company who wishes to use their loading facility.
Apparently that is usually Green Cargo, the SJ freight company.
The Mjölby to Hallsberg railway is an extremely busy freight corridor and the six single track sections are a
considerable bottleneck, so there are plans for extensive doubling of the line north of Motala. A 3.5 km
section of the line passing through Jakobshyttan has been doubled and opened between 17 and 20
October 2014. Currently doubling works are proceeding between Dunsjö and Stenkumla, which is a 13 km
section south of Hallsberg with completion expected in August 2018. Three other sections have 2021 start
dates including the 14km Stenkumla to Hallsberg section through Skymossen junction. Trains heading
north towards Hallsberg have a choice of routes into Hallsberg. All passenger trains, bar one, take the
eastern route from Skymossen junction to enter the east side bay platforms at Hallsberg station. All

freight, and one early morning weekdays only train from Mjölby to Örebro, take the western route through
the marshalling yards at Hallsberg, and this was the route taken by the PTG tour.
REST OF THE WORLD
[399] India - Chennai Metro extension to airport has been inaugurated
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Selvi J Jayalalithaa inaugurated the second section of the Chennai Metro
connecting Little Mount to Chennai International Airport on 21 September. The new line is 8.6km long and
has six stations at Little Mount, Guindy, Alandur, Nanganallur, Meenambakkam and Chennai airport.
The first 10km section started operating between Koyambedu and Alandur in June 2015.
Alandur station will be a junction with two levels linking the sections — Koyambedu to Alandur (upper
level) and Little Mount to Chennai airport (lower level).

[400] South Africa - Gautrain a qualified success
The Gautrain (seen BLNI 1118.330 and 1144.344) is South Africa’s first standard gauge railway, running
80km from Pretoria to O.R. Tambo International airport and Johannesburg. Built to get football fans from

the airport into town, it was completed in June 2008 (a week before the World Cup started) and was
widely regarded as a white elephant serving only middle class commuters. A 20-year public-private-
partnership agreement was awarded in 2006 to the Bombela Consortium whose principals included
Bombardier, RATP International, local construction firm Murray & Roberts and local banks. Bombela
operates the system on behalf of the Gautrain Management Agency, the provincial government
department tasked with making sure the project runs properly and is in line with the province's broader
transport plans.
Some of the concerns have proven well founded. Costs did over-run (by a factor of four, not helped by
lengthy delays in completing the final section from Rosebank to Park, where engineers battled to stop
groundwater pouring into the tunnel), and has also struggled to lure people onto the feeder bus system.
Subsidy is required to keep fares competitive, but they are still too expensive for poorer travellers. And
operating hours to do allow connection with very early flights or get late arrivals into town.
But Gautrain is a success. It works efficiently and has at least halved journey times. And it is safe - there are
stern rules governing passenger behaviour and uniformed security guards patrol station platforms and
travel on trains to make sure people obey them. 65,000 people use the train every weekday, and some
trains are overcrowded at peak hours, which has triggered an order for more Electrostars.
The population of Gauteng province is growing rapidly, and there are plans to extend the Gautrain system
into growing suburbs. Despite this, there is a real worry that Gautrain will continue to serve mainly middle
class users, creating a two-tier transport system. The 25-year Integrated Transport Master Plan (ITMP25)
being developed by the Gautrain Management Agency has to avoid that if at all possible.

[401] South Korea - Second Incheon metro line opens
The new 29.1 km metro line 2 linking Geomdan Oryu in the north with Unyeon in the south started
operation on 30 July. There are 27 stations, five above ground on elevated sections totalling 6.3km.
Construction started on 26 June 2009. There is interchange between the AREX airport rail link and high
speed main line services at Geomam while Juan offers interchange with Seoul metro Line 1. At Incheon
City Hall there is an interchange with Incheon metro Line 1 and Seongnam will be offer interchange with
Seoul metro Line 7 once this is extended west in 2020. Services are operated by Incheon Transit Corp. This
also runs the first metro line, which opened in 1999 and was extended in 2007 and 2009.

[402] Tanzania – Loan agreed for new railway line
China Export-Import Bank has agreed to provide Tanzania with a loan to build around 2,200km of new
standard-gauge railway linking Dar es Salaam with cities in central and western Tanzania. Construction will
start during the current financial year using Shillings 1000bn ($US 457m) of local funds which have been
allocated to the project in the state budget. The new railway will run west from Dar es Salaam via Dodoma
to Tabora and Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika. There will be a branch running north from Tabora via Isaac to
the port of Mwanza on Lake Victoria, and a line from Isaac via Keza to Musongati in neighbouring Burundi.
There will also be a branch running southwest from Tabora via Mpanda to Kalemela. The standard-gauge
railway would broadly follow the same route as the existing metre-gauge railway operated by Tanzania
Railways Corporation which links Dar es Salaam with Tabora, Kigoma and Mwanza.

[403] Thailand – Purple line opens in Bangkok
Princess Sirindhorn opened Bangkok’s Purple Line on 6 August. The 23 km elevated alignment from Tao
Pun to Khlong Bang Phai has 16 stations, including four park-and-ride sites. Extensions are planned at both
ends. The first phase of a southern extension would run 19.8 km from Tao Pun to Rat Burana with 11
underground and five elevated stations. Further extensions from Rat Burana are envisaged in the longer
term. A 4.5 km northern extension would run from Khlong Bang Phai to Bang Bua Thong.

[404] Turkey (Asiatic) - Ankara to Kayas closes for 18 months
The 37 km Sincan - Ankara - Kayas section of the main line through Ankara line closed to all traffic on 11
July 2016 for a period of 18 months, apart from a single track between Sincan and Behicbey (Marsandiz
carriage sidings). Shuttle buses are expected to run from Ankara station. This is in connection with the
Baskentray project, whereby Ankara station will be rebuilt and the current double track line widened:
Kayas - Ankara to 4 tracks, Ankara - Behicbey to 6 tracks and Behicbey - Sincan to 5 tracks. 25 stations will
be upgraded to metro standards. The electrification and signalling systems will be modernised and 24
bridges rebuilt. Freight trains will be diverted via Konya, a huge deviation. The new Ankara station is
expected to open later this year and will be used as shopping centre until the line reopens. 250 trains per
day are expected, with annual passenger usage increasing from 15 m to 60 m.

[405] United Arab Emirates – Masdar City a failure
Plans to build the world’s first sustainable, zero carbon city at Masdar City have been abandoned in the
year the project was meant to be completed. Only a fraction has been built, and most of the development
is unoccupied. The pioneering autonomous transport system, originally planned to have 100 stations, was
scrapped after only 2 stops had been built. This was a pod-based personal rapid transit (PRT) system, but
the economics were found to be unfavourable and the only pods running are from the gate to the recently
opened building that houses the Masdar Institute, a post-graduate university with a focus on clean energy.

[406] USA - Dallas Streetcar extension opens
First mentioned in the BLNI Tramway and Streetcar Extra of May 2016, item A56, it can now be reported
that the Dallas Streetcar extension to Bishop Arts District opened on 29 August 2016. The new 0.8 mile
section extends the line from the previous terminus at Beckley, with one intermediate stop at 6th Street.
The Dallas Streetcar now runs from Union Station to Bishop Arts District. It is 2.45 miles long, standard
gauge with six stops. Power is AC overhead electric, with the cars having batteries to power them over
unwired sections. The service frequency increased at the same time, from 30 to 20 minutes, following the
delivery of two additional Liberty Modern Streetcars from Brookville. There are also plans for a further
extension from Union Street to Dallas Convention Center.

OCTOBER 2016 BLNI Extra No. 18 - Italy

[B68] Italy – Massive investment for Italian Railways
Italy's infrastructure manager, Italian Rail Network (RFI) has received a massive injection of additional
government funds to invest in upgrading the network and increasing capacity. Around €9bn of the 2015
update of the 2012-2016 Contract Programme will be used to start work on projects designed to improve
local public transport, encourage the transfer of freight to rail, and continue work on three major projects:
The Brescia - Padua section of the Milan - Venice high-speed line
The Terzo Valico dei Giovi project - a 53km new line, 37km of which is in tunnels, to improve access to the
port of Genova from Torino and Milano as part of the Rhine-Alpine TEN-T Corridor
The Brenner Base Tunnel link with Austria as part of the Scandinavia - Mediterranean TEN-T Corridor.
In all, about €5.4bn of the €9bn will be used to develop the four TEN-T European corridors crossing Italy,
the other two comprising Baltic-Adriatic and Mediterranean. The plan is to strengthen these rail links with
new infrastructure and the latest technology. Freight traffic will be developed by enhancing axleloads,
loading gauge and train length and fostering modal interchange of goods through the creation of links to
the main Italian ports, dry ports and logistics terminals.
The opening of the 64km €8.8bn Brenner Base Tunnel is scheduled for 2026. Works are also in progress to
upgrade the access lines to the Brenner from the south. RFI is working to quadruple about 180km of the
Fortezza - Verona line. Performance will be improved by removing the constraint of the maximum
gradient, which will be reduced from the current 2.2% to 1.2%. There will also be an increase in
commercial speed, thus eliminating bottlenecks through the Brenner Pass and increasing the capacity of
the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor. In addition, with the additional tracks, passenger traffic will be
separated from freight, a key aspect to improve regularity and punctuality."
Regarding investments in southern Italy, technical meetings will be held to determine its best use, with
particular emphasis on eliminating bottlenecks at the points of entry to the major urban centres and
important commuter lines. Regional projects include doubling single-track lines and raising speeds on lines
in Campania, Puglia, Calabria and Sardegna, as well as on the north-south main lines in southern Italy along
the Adriatic coast from Bologna via Rimini and Bari to Lecce/Taranto, and the Tyrrhenian coast from
Battipáglia south of Salerno to Réggio di Calabria. The €6.2bn Napoli - Bari project involves a mixture of
upgrading the existing line, and building new sections to achieve a line speed of 200km/h. October 2016
will see work plans delivered to the contracting firms for the Napoli - Cancello and the Cancello - Frasso
Telesino sections.
In Sicily, RFI has a €8.9bn project to upgrade and double sections of the Palermo - Catània - Messina line
from where it leaves the Palermo - Messina main line at Fiumetorto to Messina to achieve a maximum
speed of 200km/h. In October 2015, early works - roads and the preparation of construction sites - were
contracted for the Bicocca - Catenanuova and Catenanuova - Raddusa sections. Work will begin in spring
2017 and dramatically reduce journey times.
Work is progressing to plug the few remaining gaps in Italy's high-speed network. The Brescia – Padova
section the last missing piece of the Milano - Venézia line. In December, the Treviglio - Brescia section will
commence operation, RFI are collecting comments from the local authorities affected by the alignments of
the last two sections: Brescia - Verona and Verona - Padova.
The first two construction lots of the Milano - Genova high-speed connection are underway and
authorisation of the third lot was recently published. The conclusion of all the works is expected by 2021
and will be critical to connecting the port of Genova to Central and Northern Europe."
The high-speed/high-capacity lines are being built to different standards from those of the high-speed
network used exclusively by high-speed trains, with more gentle gradients and higher maximum axleloads.
These lines will have a minimum curve radius of 5450m, a maximum gradient of 1.8%, a minimum radius
for vertical curves of 20km, and a maximum axleload of 25 tonnes. There will also be numerous
connections with the conventional network.

While the reconstruction of Torino Porta Susa and Roma Tiburtina stations and the provision of a new
underground station in Bologna for high-speed services have been completed, the construction of Firenze
Belfiore and Napoli Afragola high-speed stations has suffered delays. These stations are seen as critical for
the separation of urban and long-distance traffic, releasing tracks for commuter traffic, to create
interchanges with urban services, and to avoid through trains having to reverse at the existing terminal
stations in Firenze and Naples. The construction of Firenze Belfiore station has been delayed due to
problems with the disposal of the excavated earth from the tunnels connecting it to the network. Firenze
Belfiore is designed by British architect Sir Norman Forster and is being built on four levels. The platforms
are at the deepest level, about 22m below ground. Escalators connect the platforms to a mezzanine. Level
0 will house a passenger centre, a lounge and areas for commercial use, and level 1 will contain a shopping
area and management offices. At Napoli Afragola, the construction sites were re-launched in March 2015,
and the first phase of the work will be completed by the first quarter of 2017, thus rendering the use of the
passenger station feasible. The station will become the modal interchange pole for the Roma - Napoli -
Salerno high-speed line and the Napoli - Benevento - Bari high-capacity route, through the Napoli -
Cancello link

[B69] Italy - Cécina to Volterra branch gets investment
A member’s doubts about the viability of the Cécina to Volterra-Saline-Pomarance branch expressed in
BLNI 1256.191 have proved ill-founded. During the annual summer closure period ballast, rails and
sleepers were replaced on a 15km section, the formation was rehabilitated on 4km and work performed
on level crossings at a cost of €7M. The speed restriction before Ponte Ginori was also eliminated. It seems
the line has a future.

[B70] Italy - Ferrovie della Calabria line partially reopened for heritage trains
The Ferrovie della Calabria has reopened a 13 km section of the long closed Pedace - Camigliatello - San
Giovanni In Fiore line for steam hauled tourist services between Moccone to San Nicola Silvana Mansio, at
1405 metres a.s.l. the highest station in Italy. The Treno della Sila (http://www.trenodellasila.it/) services
seem to have started in August, with what was possibly an opening special on the evening of 8 August. The
trips on 13, 15, 18, 20, 21, 24, 27, 28 and 31 August were sold out. The website isn't quite up to date and
the season now seems to have finished, with trips on 4, 8, 10 and 11 September. Hopefully it will run next
year.

[B71] Italy - Gricing the Napoli area
Your correspondent had neglected the Napoli area in the course of his travels and considerable amounts of
track, mainly private, needed to be griced. The best ticket for the task was the UnicoCampania 3T, a three
day ticket giving unlimited travel on public services in Campania, an area much greater than greater Napoli
covering trains, buses and even funiculars. Curiously the Circumvesuviana railway ticket office at Napoli
could not sell them, the man shaking his head and saying ’upstairs’. Not very helpful, but in fact a rapid
visit to the FS station concourse found that the Hudsons News opposite the FS ticket office by platform 23
sold them, and what a bargain at €20. Your correspondent was initially unsure how to validate it in the
absence of any yellow ’convalida’ stamping machines by the Circumvesuviana Railway station entrance. In
fact if you simply put the ticket into the automatic turnstiles it will validate it – on the back you find start
and finish dates neatly stamped. You will probably need to fill in the name and date of birth boxes, also on
the back (though whether strictly needed is unsure), but after that you are free to travel widely. Not that
the ticket is likely to be inspected - this is Italy – but it might happen, and the ticket inspectors are
completely unforgiving to ignorant foreigners. The layout of the Napoli Centrale station is guaranteed to
confuse when first visited. There are really three stations in the complex. The main FS station is a terminus
and by far the largest with platforms numbered up to 28, though platform 1 no longer exists. Platforms 2-4
are bays a 200 metre walk up platform 5 and are used for very few trains, mainly DMUs. Beware the

timetable boards. A Binario 2, 3 or 4 with nothing underneath it refers to the main FS station platforms.
But if the 2, 3 or 4 has NA PG below it, then it refers to the underground platforms of Piazza Garibaldi. To
get to these go down the steps opposite platforms 13 and 14 and turn left into a long transverse gallery
which runs under the main concourse. Platforms 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Stazione Piazza Garibaldi are accessed
by descending stairs to the right. Keep on going to the end of the gallery to reach the Circumvesuviana
Railway station, beyond which steps lead out of the south side of the station. This was your
correspondent’s jumping off point for his exploration of the Circumvesuvia (CV) Railway, previously visited
as an InterRailing student in 1973 on a visit to the ruins at Pompeii. Today his first destination (it was late
morning as he had come down from Milano) was the branch to Baiano. A word perhaps on the Napoli
railway system. The private railways use mainly elderly EMUs of basic construction with hard seating and
sometimes not much of that, as floor space is maximised for standing passengers in rush hours. All are
covered with graffiti, and covered means just that. The windows are sometimes scraped clean, but that’s
about it. Stations are frequent and also covered in graffiti with a few exceptions. Endless apartment blocks
line the railway, which runs along a narrow corridor lined by fences or vegetation, with branches scraping
the outside of the train. The phrase ‘degraded urban environment’ comes to mind. It was with some
difficulty that your correspondent finally found the number of the EMUs he was riding. It is on the side of
one buffer beam (so below platform level) for each side of the train and is often very faded. CV stations are
all manned with ticket offices, but information infrastructure is sadly lacking, or if present, does not work.
Locals know which platform to be on and trains are frequent. The trains themselves (apart from the very
few modern ones) have no destination displays. And they don’t keep very good time. 5-10 minutes late at
the destination is the norm. All stations have turnstiles or other automated barriers, but at the weekend of
our correspondent’s travels most were open and unmanned. Since the guard sits with the driver, only
emerging to peer out of the door and tell the driver to close the doors and depart, a large number of
people must travel for free.

[B72] Italy - The Italian grice
Continuing from BLNI 1266.XXX. From Denmark your reporter flew to Roma Ciampino, took the airport bus
to Roma Termini and got a reservation for the 18:50 service to Salerno, where he arrived with an hour to
spare before his overnight train to Torino for which a single berth sleeper had been booked in advance.
Not that he got one. The entire sleeper carriage was declared defective with electrical problems shortly
before departure and our member was shunted into a four berth couchette, albeit with single occupancy.
A refund could be sought later, but at least he was on the train and able to awake at an ungodly hour to
see whether his train was indeed diverted by the 44.9km freight line from Vada to Pisa via Collesalvetti as
booked. This is the original main line south from Pisa and is known as the Maremmana railway. The line
was closed from 1992-2000, with passenger services formally withdrawn in 1995, but reopened as a
through route for freight avoiding the busy mainline through Livorno. His estimate for the alarm proved
accurate, and with the aid of strong moonlight and the GPS on his mobile phone he was able to view much
of the line. The station at Collesalvetti was run-down but extant and a huge car import facility with brightly
floodlit (but empty) rail sidings was viewed by a canal south of Pisa. This was the only source of freight
traffic, but the line speed was good. Once the mainline was rejoined at Pisa more sleep was obtained
before arrival at Torino Porta Nuova, the end station for the train. A relaxed schedule meant it arrived
bang on time allowing sufficient time for breakfast before boarding the 09:45 to Bardonecchia, close to the
French border. The reason for this was to travel the section between Bussoleno (junction for the short
branch to Susa) and Salbertrand. The original single track line from Torino to Bardonecchia was doubled
between 1911 and 1915, with the exception of the Bussoleno to Salbertrand section, which was a much
more difficult proposition and was finally completed in 1985. Wikipedia describes this section well: “The
mountain section starts at Bussoleno and the two tracks take different routes. Much of the uphill line to
Bardonecchia runs through tunnel between Bussoleno and Salbertrand, while the line running downhill
from Bardonecchia has a lower proportion in tunnel and takes a slightly lower route. West of Salbertrand

the two tracks follow the same route. The uphill line was designed with "S"-shaped tunnels in order to
reduce the gradient, increasing its length. Between Bussoleno and Salbertrand the two tracks are at the
same level at the intermediate stations, except at Exilles, where the platforms are on different levels. This
station is no longer in regular use, being separated by the valley from the village of Exilles and its fort. It
can still be used if required for historical trains, or to pick up or drop off groups”.
So the line has to be done both ways, without diversion by the many crossovers between the two lines.
The train, rather full to start with, got progressively fuller as many were joining and few getting off.
Amazingly the train was almost on time - a tribute to considerable recovery time in the schedule. This was
crucially important as the train back from Salbertrand was only a +12, but in the event the connection was
not a problem. The problem was fighting a way off the train. That left our member with the section from
Modane (in France) across the border to Bardonecchia and Salbertrand to do subsequently on a TGV,
which would also pull in the Torino avoiding line. Well pleased, he returned to Torino, making sure he was
always on the most northerly (downhill) line.
With an hour and a half to spare he set in motion a refund for his previous night’s sleeper, then stocked up
on provisions for his next overnight train – the 13:35 Torino Porta Nuova to Réggio di Calabria. This train,
like the previous night’s train, was to use rare track as identified in EGTRE, which for those who are not
familiar with it is the Enthusiasts Guide to Travelling the Railways of Europe. The train runs by the old main
line to Milano Porta Garibaldi then via Piacenza to Bologna. Our member made sure he was paying
attention before Modena where the deviation di Modena (opened 29 September 2014 and reported in
BLNI 1224.011) was new track for him. It was noted that the old line is completely lifted and that the new
Marzaglia freight terminal was almost empty – just two wagons and two colossal cranes. Next was
Bologna, and one of the two main events. Sure enough the train slowed and took the Bologna Cintura. This
lengthy avoiding line was quite fascinating. It quickly enters tunnel then a long cutting before the freight
connection from the Verona line trails in at Bivio Calderara. The signal box carries distance information
from several locations on a large panel. Spotting the various boxes in time to identify them was slightly
challenging, but most were managed. Also of great interest were the signs (not dissimilar to road signs)
indicating routes on and off the Cintura. Next was a triangular junction allowing access to the Padova line
and our member paid especial attention to the north to east junction which we hoped to be travelling later
in the holiday. Now another triangular junction, this time on the south side of the railway and giving access
to the Bologna Centrale area. Bivio Arcoveggio also has distance information on the signal box. Soon
Bologna Fiere station is passed. This was built to give access to the Bologna Fiere exhibition centre, but
while the platforms are clearly usable, our member is not aware of special trains using them. Next is a
triangular junction on the north side of the line giving access to the huge San Donato freight yard, then the
freight curve onto the Rimini line and finally the main line to Rimini is crossed to reach Bivio Crociali where
the passenger line to Prato is joined. That’s 15.3 km of otherwise freight only line, and in daylight as well.
Night fell as the train went south avoiding Firenze and sticking to the old main line to Roma, which was
also bypassed as our member tried to get some sleep. The line to Napoli via Latina is not the most direct
route, but it is the faster of the two non-high speed lines. Our member’s alarm was set to awake him as the
train approached Aversa, and did so. Anxious moments now as the train travelled the curve avoiding
Aversa (which he didn’t need, although it is an obscure route in EGTRE) and then took the long freight only
line through Marcianise Smistamento, the enormous yard north of Napoli. Again, bright moonlight and
GPS served him well and he was able to observe that the train took the most southerly of the pair of lines
on the south side of the yard, which was illuminated by ghostly moonlight. The main line was rejoined at
Cancello after over 25km of travel on freight lines. It was time for more sleep as the train bypassed Napoli
and headed south through Salerno towards Réggio di Calabria.
Broken sleep is better than no sleep, but it was a tired member who left the train at Páola and caught a
regional train north to Battipáglia. This train also filled beyond capacity with some people unable to board
it at all – but more seriously it lost time while people ran up and down the platform to try and find
somewhere to get on. Arrival at Battipáglia was just at the moment our members IC train to Potenza and

Taranto should have been leaving, but mercifully this was also late and the connection was made. At
Potenza our member walked the short distance from the FS station at Potenza Centrale to Potenza
Inferiore Scalo, which is the terminal station of the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane, the metre gauge private
railway based in Bari. It is not the end of the line – that’s the depot several hundred metres further on –
but quite good enough for our member. A return ticket to Avigliano Città was easily purchased and soon
the Stadler EMU rolled in from the depot. The first call is Potenza Inferiore, which is directly opposite the
FS station. Now the line climbs steeply, offering great views of the FS line and sweeping round the east
side of Potenza to reach Potenza Città and then Potenza Santa Maria. A low wall separates this station
from the parallel FS station of Potenza Superiore, with which interchange is possible. The two lines come
together now to form a dual gauge section for 10.2km as far as Avigliana Lucania where they separate
again. Sadly it is no longer possible to take the 950mm gauge line to Gravina and onwards to Bari as this
has been bus substituted for a number of years. The 950mm line still goes for a further 7.7km to Avigliana
Città however, and this is the end of the branch. Our member was pleased to get there and amazed to see
the driver move the points on the rather ancient looking frame outside the railway office before he had his
break. Custom on the outward and return journeys was minimal, but this was the August holiday period,
so perhaps not the best time to gauge support for the train service. Bad news at Potenza Centrale FS
station however, as the regional train to Taranto was shown as Soppreso. That’s cancelled. A bus
replacement would operate, but arrive at Taranto later – thereby just missing the train to Brindisi which
our member wanted to be on. As a result he arrived at his destination for the day, Lecce, later than he
really wanted. Sleep that night was not a problem.
The Ferrovie del Sud Est (FSE) is a sprawling standard gauge private railway system extending from Bari
down to the heel of Italy, in the news recently when it went bankrupt with massive debts. Since then one
line in the heel (Gallipoli to Casarano) has been bus replaced with no reopening date, so this may be the
first casualty of the railways collapse. On a previous visit our member had successfully travelled almost the
entire FSE system and was on a train to Gagliano Leuca which would complete the job. Unfortunately at
Tricase the train terminated and it was a bus forward for the final 10.6km section to Gagliano Leuca. This
was about as inconvenient as it could get – right on the tip of the heel!
The next day started with the 06:55 from Lecce to Gagliano Leuca/Gallipoli. For those who have not been
to Lecce the FSE ticket office is at the north end of platform one and our member suspects many people
never find it. The 06:55 was a single car Fiat DMU of obsolete type, heavily covered in graffiti and with no
air conditioning. It is shown on the screen as being for Gagliano Leuca and Gallipoli, but in fact only goes to
the former, with a change of trains being needed at Zollino for Gallipoli passengers. It seemed like the
entire black African population of Lecce was on the train, along with two Roma who quickly went to sleep
across their seats. The train emptied at Zollino, which is the junction station, and a singularly tricky one for
the uninitiated, as there may be up to four trains there with no indication anywhere on the station,
platforms or trains themselves as to where they are going. If in any doubt – ask! There are plenty of station
staff, if you can catch them not on their mobile phones.
The line from Tricase to Gagliano Leuca was duly griced, and with the FSE ticked off our member returned
to Zollino where he had to change to a late running train from Gallipoli, only just making his onward
connection to Foggia on a high speed train going to Milano. Several hours later he was in Foggia making
onward reservations to Bologna and buying tickets to/from San Nicandro Gargano from the station hall
shop. Members may recollect the reporting of the opening in full of the new cut-off from San Severo,
through Apricena Citta to San Nicandro on the railway to Peschichi-Calenella in BLNI 1260.269. This was
our member’s next target. The railway is the FG (Ferrovie del Gargano) and his previous journey on the old
line was reported in BLNI 1203.072. His train left from platform 5Tr, which is the bay at the north end of
platform five. The ticket can be stamped on the train to validate it. A fast run up the main line to San
Severo ensued, with the old line to Peschichi observed to be still connected, but thick with rust. The new
line leaves the north end of the station and runs parallel with the main line before heading dead straight
through extensive groves of fruit trees towards Apricena. There is an S shaped wiggle just before the new

station, which has pleasingly been built in the same style as the other stations on the line. Ahead is a long
cutting leading into the 3178 metre Monte Tratturale tunnel which climbs through a shoulder of the
Gargano plateau and joins the old line. The junction itself has been swept away, but buffer stops can be
seen in the distance, so the old line is now effectively a disused branch. A wait was necessary at San
Nicandro as the return service to Foggia started from there, and the bar a short distance away was
patronised to good effect. The plus 12 at Foggia was easily made and a long journey to Bologna followed,
there being no other track en-route required by our member.
Our member’s next objective was to complete the Ferrovie Emilia Romagna (FER) system, another
sprawling private network reaching from Parma to the Adriatic. The sections he required were centred on
Reggio Emilia, a station with which he was unfamiliar. Upon arrival he looked for a FER ticket office, and
was not surprised to find there wasn’t one. Normally a Libri (bookstall) or Tabaccheria (tobacco shop) or
similar small shop would sell tickets, but all were closed due to it being the holiday period.
In fact the only evidence of FERs presence was that the train he wanted to catch was on the station
departure screens, shown as platform 2 FER. Down in the subway there was no platform 2. 1,3,4,5 and 6,
but not 2. That was the clue – there were obviously separate platforms for the FER, and walking to the end
of the subway, signed Autostazione (bus station), he found steps leading up to two short, slightly shabby
platforms on the north side of the FS station. Still no sign of where to buy a ticket though. Maybe the
Autostazione? And so it proved. The SETA booking office also sells rail tickets for the FER, so tickets to
Reggio San Lazzaro and Guastalla were quickly purchased, along with return tickets. Our member always
gets tickets both ways having been caught out previously on another FER branch from Bologna to Vignole
when he arrived at Vignole and found there was nowhere to buy a ticket. You had to go to a shop in the
town centre, and some locals actually set off to do this, though our member took his chances and made
the return journey without one. Before the train arrived at Reggio Emilia FER three of the four tickets were
validated at an FS machine because they would all be required shortly. The FER machines didn’t work, and
it turned out the validation was carried out by the guard with his trusty pen. Welcome to the wacky world
of Italian private railways.
Some years ago services between Guastalla and Reggio Emilia were extended parallel to the FS main line
by about 2 km to a station called Reggio San Lazzaro. Not all services go there, but our member had
positioned himself for one that did. He was the only passenger arriving at the two platform terminus
station with green fields on one side and, reached by an underpass of the FS main line, a distant suburb of
Reggio Emilia. Not surprisingly he was the only passenger on the return. But what was a surprise, the same
as at Lecce a few days earlier, was the preponderance of black Africans joining at Reggio Emilia. He spent
part of the journey north to Guastalla speculating on why this might be, reaching no conclusion. The
scenery is flat and uninteresting – typical of the Po valley – but there was interest at Reggio Emilia AV
station, where connections (by walkway) can be made to the high speed line from Milano to Bologna. The
AV station has a very impressive facade with curving white panels of great height.

Guastalla station is less impressive, but does feature a bar where our member whiled away the two hour
wait for the return journey, having quickly exhausted the scenic delights of the town. Back at Reggio Emilia
return tickets were quickly purchased to Ciano d’Enza. FER trains for this branch leave from platform 1
Ovest at the main FS station. This is the bay off platform one. The single car railbus trundled the length of
this rather dull line to Ciano (which is how the station nameboards describe it), waited ten minutes, then
came back. Despite the presence of two guards, no attempt was made to check tickets, and since the zone
tickets used by passengers had not been made valid by the guard’s pen, they would be useable for another
journey. Revenue protection is obviously something of a joke. With plenty of time to spare, use was made
of local trains to get to Bologna, then Padova with his InterRail, our member having got fed up of paying
the €10 reservation and supplement fee every time he caught a high speed service.
Railway interest resumed the following morning when he joined the 06:32 Padova to Roma Termini
service. Originating in Venezia, this train travels non-stop from Padova, and makes use of the Bologna
Cintura to do so. As previously mentioned, this freight ring to the north of Bologna has connections from
the passenger main lines it crosses as it makes its way through the northern suburbs of Bologna. After
Ferrara the train started to slow, then crossed over to the slow lines to pass through Castelmaggiore and
Bologna Corticella where it diverged onto the freight connection to the Cintura which it joined at Bivio
Beserara onto tracks covered earlier in our members railway expedition. The reason why this train takes
the otherwise freight only Cintura rather than simply proceed non-stop through Bologna Centrale, is
probably due to the volume of traffic through Centrale. The Cintura is probably no faster, but there is less
potential for conflict and delay. Rejoining passenger tracks southeast of Bologna, the train proceeded to
Roma Termini by the Firenze avoiding line and the Direttisima, which is the high speed line between
Firenze and Roma. The original high speed line in fact, with numerous connections onto and off the old
main line. The extension of the high speed network, which now extends from Salerno to Torino, has
increased usage of the Direttisima, so the number of services making use of the connections between the
two lines, which are often of some length, has reduced steadily over recent years. Some of the connections
represent unfinished business to our member. Details of services using the connections is to be found, as
always, in EGTRE. From Roma Termini a local train was taken to Roma Ostiense, for another local train to
Roma Fiumicino airport. Several hours later our member landed in København and travelled to Odense for
the night. The next day was for a special train to Haderslev, but that story will be reported by another
member.