Type Heavy rail Electrification 3 kV DC 188.682 Giugliano-Qualiano Locale Campania Terminis Naples, Villa Literno | Status in use 180.348 Villa Literno Owner Rete Ferroviaria Italiana Operator Trenitalia | |
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ⁄2 in) | ||
The Villa Literno–Napoli Gianturco railway is a 16 km-long double track line which connects the line to Rome via Formia with the line to Salerno near Napoli Gianturco station through Naples and its north-western suburbs. This line is used by the metropolitan trains names as line 2.
History
With the construction of Rome–Naples Direttissima, it was decided to build a through railway ("Passante"), partly on the surface and partly underground, directly connecting the line from Salerno with the line to Rome, without the need to reverse trains. The line would also allow the construction of several railway stations in order to create an urban metropolitan service.
Although work started in 1906, it was not opened until 20 September 1925 due to delays in completing the work, mainly as a result of World War I and the hilliness of the route. The railway consists of three stations outside the city of Naples in Pozzuoli, Giugliano (its station, Giugliano-Qualiano is some distance from the centres of both Giugliano and Qualiano) and Quarto and six in the city at Napoli Garibaldi, Cavour, Montesanto, Amedeo, Chiaia and Fuorigrotta. The entire line was double track and electrified with 750 V DC third rail.
In 1927 the names of the stations of Chiaia and Fuorigrotta were changed to respectively in Mergellina and Campi Flegrei. In the same year the Direttissima was completed connecting to the metropolitana near Villa Literno station and the stations of Bagnoli and Gianturco were opened. In 1929 the station of Piazza Leopardi was opened.
In later years the line was electrified with standard Italian Railways 3kV DC Overhead Lines, a new station was opened at Cavalleggeri d'Aosta and the station at Piazza Garibaldi (beneath Napoli Centrale) was rebuilt.
Today the metropolitan trains of the line 2 operates between Gianturco to Pozzuoli on the line. Some of them go further to Castellammare di Stabia, Formia, Salerno and Santa Maria Capua Vetere.