Olbia railway station
Encyclopedia
Olbia railway station serves the town and comune
of Olbia
, in the northeast of the island
and region
of Sardinia
, Italy. Opened in 1881, it forms part of the Cagliari–Golfo Aranci railway, the main railway line in Sardinia.
Between 1883 and 2000, the station was also the junction
of a short branch line to Olbia's ferry pier, at Isola Bianca.
The station is currently managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI). 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.
Terranova Pausania was intended to be the penultimate station on the line, which, on 1 May of that year, arrived at the designated terminus of Terranova Isola Bianca, in front of the docks of the town's port. However, in the meantime it had been decided to move the docking of ships passengers to nearby Golfo Aranci, and so the line was extended by constructing a new trunk route from Terranova Pausania.
The extension was opened in 1883. The opening of this route created a bifurcation of the line a short distance from the station. To the west, the new main line continued to Rudalza, another stop within the municipality, and Golfo Aranci, while to the east, the established line, now a branch, headed to Isola Bianca.
A few decades later, the port of Olbia once again became the ferry port. A new rail link from Terranova Pausania station to the new Isola Bianca pier was opened on 28 January 1920, just weeks after responsibility for management of the station had passed to the FS.
The station, which took its present name of Olbia in 1939, continued to be the terminus of most trains in the years to come, including the Freccia Sarda, the Cagliari-Olbia express
that for decades linked its termini with the regional capital of Gallura
.
In the 1990s, with the closure of the railway station at Olbia Isola Bianca, the branch that led from Olbia station to the ferry terminal and its formation was largely dismantled following work affecting the road network near the port. However, the station at Rudalza remains open.
is a two storey rectangular structure made of red brick, with stone quoin
s and a tiled roof. Its ground floor exterior has an all round white rendered finish.
The station yard has a track in front of the passenger building, and three other tracks used for passenger services.
About 400 m (1,312.3 ft) from the passenger building, towards Cagliari, is the station's locomotive depot, adjacent to which is also a group of tracks for freight service.
A new station is expected to be constructed in future near the present freight terminal, to replace the current passenger building.
Trains link the station with Cagliari
, Oristano, Chilivani, Sassari
, Porto Torres and Golfo Aranci.
The station is always attended, and train movements are managed on site by the station manager.
Not far from the station is a bus stop for ARST suburban buses to surrounding areas.
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 Olbia
Olbia
Olbia is a town and comune of 56,231 inhabitants in northeastern Sardinia , in the Gallura sub-region. Called Olbia in the Roman age, Civita in the Middle Ages and Terranova Pausania before the 1940s, Olbia was again the official name of the town after the period of Fascism.-Geography:It is the...
, in the northeast of the island
Insular Italy
Insular 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. Insular Italy encompasses two of the country's 20 regions:...
and 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 Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Italy. Opened in 1881, it forms part of the Cagliari–Golfo Aranci railway, the main railway line in Sardinia.
Between 1883 and 2000, the station was also the junction
Junction station
Junction station usually refers to a railway station situated or close to a junction where lines to several destinations diverge. The usual minimum is three incoming lines...
of a short branch line to Olbia's ferry pier, at Isola Bianca.
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). 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
Olbia railway station is situated in Via Giacomo Pala, at the northwestern edge of the old town.History
The station was opened on 15 March 1881 as the main station of Terranova Pausania, which was then the name of present-day Olbia. Its opening coincided with the inauguration of the Monti–Terranova Pausania section of the Cagliari–Golfo Aranci railway.Terranova Pausania was intended to be the penultimate station on the line, which, on 1 May of that year, arrived at the designated terminus of Terranova Isola Bianca, in front of the docks of the town's port. However, in the meantime it had been decided to move the docking of ships passengers to nearby Golfo Aranci, and so the line was extended by constructing a new trunk route from Terranova Pausania.
The extension was opened in 1883. The opening of this route created a bifurcation of the line a short distance from the station. To the west, the new main line continued to Rudalza, another stop within the municipality, and Golfo Aranci, while to the east, the established line, now a branch, headed to Isola Bianca.
A few decades later, the port of Olbia once again became the ferry port. A new rail link from Terranova Pausania station to the new Isola Bianca pier was opened on 28 January 1920, just weeks after responsibility for management of the station had passed to the FS.
The station, which took its present name of Olbia in 1939, continued to be the terminus of most trains in the years to come, including the Freccia Sarda, the Cagliari-Olbia express
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...
that for decades linked its termini with the regional capital of Gallura
Gallura
Gallura is a region of northern Sardinia, Italy.The name Gallùra means "area located on high ground".-Geography:...
.
In the 1990s, with the closure of the railway station at Olbia Isola Bianca, the branch that led from Olbia station to the ferry terminal and its formation was largely dismantled following work affecting the road network near the port. However, the station at Rudalza remains open.
Features
The passenger buildingStation 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 a two storey rectangular structure made of red brick, with stone quoin
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
s and a tiled roof. Its ground floor exterior has an all round white rendered finish.
The station yard has a track in front of the passenger building, and three other tracks used for passenger services.
About 400 m (1,312.3 ft) from the passenger building, towards Cagliari, is the station's locomotive depot, adjacent to which is also a group of tracks for freight service.
A new station is expected to be constructed in future near the present freight terminal, to replace the current passenger building.
Passenger and train movements
In 2007, the station had, on average, 442.5 passenger movements each day.Trains link the station with Cagliari
Cagliari railway station
Cagliari is the main railway station of the Italian city of Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia. It is owned by the Ferrovie dello Stato, the national rail company of Italy, and is the most important station of its region. The station is sometimes unofficially named Cagliari Centrale and Cagliari...
, Oristano, Chilivani, Sassari
Sassari railway station
Sassari is the main railway station of the Italian city of Sassari, the second largest city of Sardinia. It is owned by the Ferrovie dello Stato , the national rail company of Italy, and also by the Ferrovie della Sardegna .-History:...
, Porto Torres and Golfo Aranci.
The station is always attended, and train movements are managed on site by the station manager.
Interchange
An ASPO bus terminal in front of the station provides urban bus links, including Olbia's ferry port at Isola Bianca.Not far from the station is a bus stop for ARST suburban buses to surrounding areas.
See also
- History of rail transport in Italy
- List of railway stations in Sardinia
- 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:...