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So I was there last week, and it was running the 2030 timetable.
I'd love to understand more about that line, how have they justified spending so much on the line to run it so infrequently!
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
More for the wider topic, I spent 4 days on the trains in Southern Italy and had a great time! Low frequencies made it frustrating, but everything mostly ran on time - I had a different piece of rolling stock on each trip, but every one was comfortable and clean. Couldn't ask for more really.
So I was there last week, and it was running the 2030 timetable.
I'd love to understand more about that line, how have they justified spending so much on the line to run it so infrequently!
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
More for the wider topic, I spent 4 days on the trains in Southern Italy and had a great time! Low frequencies made it frustrating, but everything mostly ran on time - I had a different piece of rolling stock on each trip, but every one was comfortable and clean. Couldn't ask for more really.
Today there was a General Strike in Italy. This just happened to be the day that I’d pre-booked a trip on Trenitalia to Catanzaro Lido for a journey on the Ferrovie Della Calabria (FdC) up to Catanzaro Citta.
We had tickets booked on the Intercity, but we received an email saying this was cancelled a few days before and advising to claim a refund and instead travel on an alternative service. As far as the Ionian Coast line goes, the General Strike just seemed to mean that the 2 daily Intercity trains in each direction were cancelled, but all the Regional services ran as normal. I was unsure whether the FdC lines would be suspended or running, but we were going to travel anyway.
We’d re-booked on the day for Locri to Catanzaro Lido, with the on the day price being 6 Euro-something, which is pretty cheap.
Unfortunately, we were very unlucky as a ALN Single Car Railcar rolled in to form our service. These are now pretty rare. In one sense, I was pleased to have a last ride (I’ve said that many times now), but overall it was a dismal journey for the regular passenger. The train was full and standing, and had filthy windows. Furthermore, it was hot onboard by British standards, but not warm enough by Italian standards for the air con to be switched on. Luckily, we did find seats in the former first class section, but other than that it wasn’t a great journey at all.
More positively, the newly renovated FdC station is much more clear from the Trenitalia Station, and the walk is much better and safer now that you don’t have to walk down the main road to reach it.
There was a small queue at the ticket office, and the we boarded the air conditioned train.
The improvements to the line have been much more extensive than I envisaged. The line is now double track throughout until the rack and pinion tunnel section begins at Catanzaro Sala station, however only one track is in use at present.
Additionally, a new line now diverges off the original line to serve the University Campus. The stations are modern and nice and the ride is smooth. The old alignment has also been turned into a cycle path which is a nice touch.
You should hopefully be able to see the old and new alignments in the photos above, as well as the start of the rack & pinion tunnel section. Better and higher definition photos are available on my X account where file sizes are less limited than here.
I opted to walk back down the hill to Catanzaro Sala as it was a pleasant day, which wasn’t a universally popular decision. Luckily, a bar was found en route and the owner put on a fantastic lunch spread for us to enjoy with our beers which earned me a reprieve.
The train from Catanzaro Sala was full and standing, which I’ve never encountered before on this line, but the air conditioned train remained tolerable.
The journey back from Catanzaro Lido was much more pleasant than the outward leg, as it was one of the modern units and it made for a pleasant trip home.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
So I was there last week, and it was running the 2030 timetable.
I'd love to understand more about that line, how have they justified spending so much on the line to run it so infrequently!
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
More for the wider topic, I spent 4 days on the trains in Southern Italy and had a great time! Low frequencies made it frustrating, but everything mostly ran on time - I had a different piece of rolling stock on each trip, but every one was comfortable and clean. Couldn't ask for more really.
I suspect they are running an interim timetable until the new branch opens. Still, 2030 is early by Italian standards that’s not even evening meal time for Southern Italy.
I suspect that Catanzaro Sala will become the new focal point for services as it has a bay as well as the two mainlines, and all services could run from there as connecting shuttles with minimal signalling on a single-line basis.
Yeah it absolutely robbed me of getting some nice dinner in Catanzaro, proper!
I am super glad that I didn't encounter the ALN railcar to ride, but I did see one zipping about in the sidings on my trip!
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