Rail transport in Italy
The Italian railway system has a total length[3] of 24,227 km (15,054 mi) of which active lines are 16,723 km.[2] The network has recently grown with the construction of the new high-speed rail network. Italy is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC Country Code for Italy is 83.
| Italy | |
|---|---|
 A frecciarossa high-speed train next to an older E.444R at Milano Centrale | |
| Operation | |
| National railway | Ferrovie dello Stato |
| Major operators | Trenitalia (national) Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (national) Trenord (local) Trenitalia Tper (local) Thello (international) Mercitalia (freight) |
| Statistics | |
| Ridership | 883.3 million (2019)[1] |
| System length | |
| Total | 16,723 km (10,391 mi)[2] |
| Double track | 7,505 km (4,663 mi)[2] |
| Track gauge | |
| Main | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Electrification | |
| 3 kV DC | conventional lines[2] |
| 25 kV AC | high-speed lines[2] |
The network
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, Italian Rail Network, is the state owned infrastructure manager. The Italian railway system has a length of 19,394 km (12,051 mi), of which 18,071 km (11,229 mi) are standard gauge. The active lines are 16,723 km (10,391 mi),[2] of which 7,505 km (4,663 mi) are double tracks.[2] Italy has 2,507 people and 12.46 km2 per kilometer of rail track, giving Italy the world's 13th largest rail network.[4]
Lines are divided into 3 categories:
- fundamental lines , which have high traffic and good infrastructure quality. These are the main lines between major cities throughout the country. Fundamental lines are 6,131 km (3,810 mi) long;
- complementary lines , which have less traffic and are responsible for connecting medium or small regional centers. Most of these lines are single track and some are not electrified;
- node lines , which link complementary and fundamental lines near metropolitan areas for a total 936 km (582 mi).[2]
Most of the Italian network is electrified (11,921 km (7,407 mi)). Electric system is 3 kV DC on conventional lines and 25 kV AC on high-speed lines.[5]
A major part of the Italian rail network is managed and operated by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana. Other regional agencies, mostly owned by public entities such as regional governments, operate on the Italian network.
Travellers who often make use of the railway during their stay in Italy might use Rail Passes, such as the European Interrail or Italy's national and regional passes. These rail passes allow travellers to use regional trains without paying during the validity period, but all high-speed and intercity trains require a 10-euro reservation fee. Regional passes, such as "Io viaggio ovunque Lombardia", offer one-day, multiple-day and monthly period of validity. There are also saver passes for adults, who travel as a group, with savings up to 20%. Foreign travellers should purchase these passes in advance, so that the passes can be delivered by post prior to the trip. When using the rail passes, the date of travel needs to be filled in before boarding the trains.[6]
