Aosta railway station
Encyclopedia
Aosta railway station is the main station
serving the city and comune
of Aosta
, in the autonomous region
of Aosta Valley, northwestern Italy
. Opened in 1886, it forms part of the Chivasso–Ivrea–Aosta railway, and is also a junction station
for a branch line to nearby Pré-Saint-Didier
, in the Valdigne
, on the way towards Courmayeur
.
The station is currently managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI). However, the commercial area of the passenger building
is managed by Centostazioni
. Train services to and from the station are operated by Trenitalia
. Each of these companies is a subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato
(FS), Italy's state-owned rail company.
The station yard has eight tracks, of which five are dedicated to passenger trains, and faced by platforms equipped with steel canopies. Recently, Centrostazioni fitted the platforms and the subway to Via Paravera with illuminated signs indicating destinations and schedules.
There is no goods shed
at the station. In recent years, the only goods traffic passing through the station has been consignments of slate
, widely used for roofing in the Aosta Valley, and cargoes of waste, particularly of scrap metal, from Cogne Aciers spéciaux (CAS), a steelworks located near the station. The scrap metal was destined for foundries, and was transported several days a week by goods trains hauled by two D345 class diesel locomotives (one at each end of the train) or the new D242 class diesel locomotives.
Until 2001-2002, the station was managed in collaboration with military railway engineers (who were involved in the management of the Chivasso–Aosta railway).
The main destinations for passengers are Turin
, Chivasso
, Ivrea
and Pré-Saint-Didier.
Near the Piazza is the Georges Carrel parking station, and Aosta bus station, the terminus of the bus lines of the SAVDA company.
This article is based upon a translation of the Italian language version, and includes information from the French language version, as of December 2010.
Central station
A central station usually designates the principal passenger railway station of cities which have multiple stations. The central station functions as the main transport hub for rail transport, normally with interchange with other modes of public transport...
serving the city and comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Aosta
Aosta
Aosta is the principal city of the bilingual Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps, north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, at the confluence of the Buthier and the Dora Baltea, and at the junction of the Great and Little St. Bernard routes...
, in the autonomous region
Regions of Italy
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes....
of Aosta Valley, northwestern Italy
Northwest Italy
Northwest Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency...
. Opened in 1886, it forms part of the Chivasso–Ivrea–Aosta railway, and is also a junction station
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
for a branch line to nearby Pré-Saint-Didier
Prè-Saint-Didier
Pré-Saint-Didier is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy, at 1,004 m above sea level.-Transportation:A terminus of a regional railway is located there; direct trains connect the town with Aosta, which is connected to the rest of the Italian network...
, in the Valdigne
Valdigne
The Valdigne is the upper part of the Aosta Valley in north-west Italy. It is traversed by the Dora Baltea, a tributary of the Po.It extends from Derby to Courmayeur, including the side valleys of Val Ferret, Val Veny and Vallone di La Thuile.The communes which belong to the Valdigne are...
, on the way towards Courmayeur
Courmayeur
Courmayeur is an Italian town and comune in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley, in northern Italy. It is located at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in western Europe, in the Graian Alps range, and is crossed by the Dora Baltea...
.
The station is currently managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
(RFI). However, the commercial area of the passenger building
Station building
A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger train station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers.A station building is not to be confused with the station itself...
is managed by Centostazioni
Centostazioni
' is a member company of Italy's Ferrovie dello Stato group. It was created to rehabilitate, develop and manage 103 medium sized Italian railway stations.-History:...
. Train services to and from the station are operated by Trenitalia
Trenitalia
Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. Trenitalia is owned by Ferrovie dello Stato, itself owned by the Italian Government. It was created in 2000 following the EU directive on the deregulation of rail transport.-Passenger transport:...
. Each of these companies is a subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato is a government-owned holding which manage infrastructure and service on the Italian rail network. The subsidiary Trenitalia is the main rail operator in Italy.-Organization:Ferrovie dello Stato subsidiaries are:...
(FS), Italy's state-owned rail company.
Location
Aosta railway station is situated in the southern part of the city, a few hundred metres (yards) from the city centre.Features
The station has recently been renovated. It is composed of a single building with ticketing, waiting rooms, a cafe bar, a bistro restaurant and a tobacconist. A minor building, adjacent to the main one, is the headquarters of the railway police.The station yard has eight tracks, of which five are dedicated to passenger trains, and faced by platforms equipped with steel canopies. Recently, Centrostazioni fitted the platforms and the subway to Via Paravera with illuminated signs indicating destinations and schedules.
There is no goods shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
at the station. In recent years, the only goods traffic passing through the station has been consignments of slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
, widely used for roofing in the Aosta Valley, and cargoes of waste, particularly of scrap metal, from Cogne Aciers spéciaux (CAS), a steelworks located near the station. The scrap metal was destined for foundries, and was transported several days a week by goods trains hauled by two D345 class diesel locomotives (one at each end of the train) or the new D242 class diesel locomotives.
Until 2001-2002, the station was managed in collaboration with military railway engineers (who were involved in the management of the Chivasso–Aosta railway).
Passenger and train movements
The station has about one million passenger movements each year. It is used mainly by students attending colleges in the Aosta Valley, by commuters and by tourists.The main destinations for passengers are Turin
Torino Porta Nuova railway station
Torino Porta Nuova station is currently the main railway station of Turin. It is the third busiest station in Italy for passenger flow after Rome Termini and Milan Central, with about 192,000 journeys per day and 70 million travellers a year and a total of about 350 trains per day. It is...
, Chivasso
Chivasso railway station
Chivasso railway station serves the town and comune of Chivasso, in the Piedmont region, northwestern Italy. Opened in 1856, it forms part of the Turin–Milan railway, and is also a junction for three other lines, to Aosta, Asti and Casale Monferrato, respectively.The station is currently managed...
, Ivrea
Ivrea
Ivrea is a town and comune of the province of Turin in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Situated on the road leading to the Aosta Valley , it straddles the Dora Baltea and is regarded as the centre of the Canavese area. Ivrea lies in a basin that, in prehistoric times, formed a great lake...
and Pré-Saint-Didier.
Interchange
Piazza Innocent Manzetti, in front of the station, is the terminus for the majority of Aosta's urban bus lines.Near the Piazza is the Georges Carrel parking station, and Aosta bus station, the terminus of the bus lines of the SAVDA company.
See also
- History of rail transport in Italy
- List of railway stations in Aosta Valley
- Rail transport in ItalyRail transport in ItalyThe Italian railway system is one of the most important infrastructure in the country, with a total length of . The network is recently growing with the construction of the new high speed rail network....
- Railway stations in ItalyRailway stations in ItalyRailway stations in Italy are maintained and operated by the RFI division of Ferrovie dello Stato Group. A minor part of them is operated by private and regional companies, conceded by the state.-Classification:...
External links
- History and pictures of Aosta railway station
- Valdostano Railway Museum Association website
- Les chemins de fer en Vallée d'Aoste (Tour of Mont Blanc by train)
This article is based upon a translation of the Italian language version, and includes information from the French language version, as of December 2010.