Rapallo railway station
Encyclopedia
Rapallo railway station serves the town and comune
of Rapallo
, in the Liguria
region
, northwestern Italy
. Opened in 1868, it forms part of the Pisa–La Spezia–Genoa railway, and is situated between La Spezia
and Genoa
.
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
. All of these companies are subsidiaries of Ferrovie dello Stato
(FS), Italy's state-owned rail company.
(soon to become part of the Kingdom of Italy
), a resolution was proposed in the Rapallo city council for a railway linking the Italian Riviera
with La Spezia
, and ultimately with Rome
. On 27 October 1860, the resolution was approved, and the necessary significant construction work authorised.
In relation to the railway line, or more specifically to its routing, significant conflict broke out between neighboring towns in the Golfo Paradiso and Tigullio Occidentale districts. As the construction of the railway proceeded very slowly, mainly due to the structure of the terrain, the two of Recco
and Rapallo decided to make a combined request to the Ministry of Public Works for a change to the routing. The two comuni proposed a design for a direct connection between themselves, and then passing under the Mount of Portofino, in place of the proposed "on paper" stations at Camogli
and Santa Margherita Ligure
.
The two latter comuni did not wait long to respond. They also appealed to the Ministry, in opposition to the new proposed project. In 1862, the Ministry decided definitively to reject the Rapallo–Recco proposal, prompting congratulations from the other two coastal municipalities. Thus, the railway ultimately followed the route previously chosen in 1859.
In 1867, there was once again an appeal by the town of Rapallo to divert the route slightly, and this ended up causing the demolition of the chapel of St. Augustine, which was in the way.
On the morning of 31 October 1868, after years of hard work, a steam locomotive embarked on its maiden voyage from San Michele di Pagana railway station to Rapallo. Regular passenger services commenced on 5 December 1868.
Further changes occurred to the railway in 1909, at the request of the municipalities of Recco and Rapallo, and prompted by the first train crash in the resort of Santa Margherita Ligure on 23 August of that year. The changes included a significant expansion of the Rapallo station, making the passenger building larger than its predecessor.
Despite the importance of the station, its track layout has recently been transformed, under operation "rete snella" (streamlined network), into a mere halting point, with no secondary tracks or points. Similar changes have also been made to several other stations on the line.
, and also some InterCity
and Eurostar Italia
trains.
This article is based upon a translation of the Italian language version as at December 2010.
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 Rapallo
Rapallo
Rapallo is a municipality in the province of Genoa, in Liguria, northern Italy. As of 2007 it counts approximately 34,000 inhabitants, it is part of the Tigullio Gulf and is located in between Portofino and Chiavari....
, in the Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
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....
, 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 1868, it forms part of the Pisa–La Spezia–Genoa railway, and is situated between La Spezia
La Spezia Centrale railway station
La Spezia Centrale railway station is the main station of La Spezia, situated in the Piazza Medaglie d’Oro in the city centre.-Overview:It is the largest of four stations in the municipal area...
and Genoa
Genova Piazza Principe railway station
Genova Piazza Principe railway station is the central station of Genoa and is located on Piazza Acquaverde, occupying the entire north side of Via Andrea Doria—where the station entrance is located—in the town centre and a short distance from the Palazzo del Principe, from which it takes its name...
.
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:...
. All of these companies are subsidiaries 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.
History
On 7 November 1859, at the request of the Kingdom of SardiniaKingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
(soon to become part of the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
), a resolution was proposed in the Rapallo city council for a railway linking the Italian Riviera
Italian Riviera
The Italian Riviera, or Ligurian Riviera is the narrow coastal strip which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines...
with La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
, and ultimately with Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. On 27 October 1860, the resolution was approved, and the necessary significant construction work authorised.
In relation to the railway line, or more specifically to its routing, significant conflict broke out between neighboring towns in the Golfo Paradiso and Tigullio Occidentale districts. As the construction of the railway proceeded very slowly, mainly due to the structure of the terrain, the two of Recco
Recco
Recco is a comune in the province of Genoa, region of Liguria, Italy. It is known for its focaccia al formaggio which is made with Crescenza. The consortium that dictates the official recipe of the focaccia, supposedly the result of a Saracen attack in the 1200s, is seeking the European Union PGI...
and Rapallo decided to make a combined request to the Ministry of Public Works for a change to the routing. The two comuni proposed a design for a direct connection between themselves, and then passing under the Mount of Portofino, in place of the proposed "on paper" stations at Camogli
Camogli
Camogli is a small Italian fishing village and tourist resort located on the west side of the peninsula of Portofino, on the Golfo Paradiso at the Riviera di Levante, in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. its population was of 5582 inhabitants. The name means "house of wives"...
and Santa Margherita Ligure
Santa Margherita Ligure
thumb|250px|Villa Durazzo.Santa Margherita Ligure is a comune in the province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about 35 km southeast of Genoa, in the Tigullio traditional area.left|220px|thumb|16th century castle....
.
The two latter comuni did not wait long to respond. They also appealed to the Ministry, in opposition to the new proposed project. In 1862, the Ministry decided definitively to reject the Rapallo–Recco proposal, prompting congratulations from the other two coastal municipalities. Thus, the railway ultimately followed the route previously chosen in 1859.
In 1867, there was once again an appeal by the town of Rapallo to divert the route slightly, and this ended up causing the demolition of the chapel of St. Augustine, which was in the way.
On the morning of 31 October 1868, after years of hard work, a steam locomotive embarked on its maiden voyage from San Michele di Pagana railway station to Rapallo. Regular passenger services commenced on 5 December 1868.
Further changes occurred to the railway in 1909, at the request of the municipalities of Recco and Rapallo, and prompted by the first train crash in the resort of Santa Margherita Ligure on 23 August of that year. The changes included a significant expansion of the Rapallo station, making the passenger building larger than its predecessor.
Features
The passenger building has recently undergone a sympathetic restoration. This included the repainting of the facade in a new yellow-red colour scheme (replacing the former pink and white colours) and a move of the ticket office from the first floor to the ground floor. The old goods yard, used mostly only for the unloading of goods, is now no longer used, except for the stabling of rolling stock owned by private railways. The former perimeter of the goods yard is now part of a new parking garage owned and operated by Trenitalia.Despite the importance of the station, its track layout has recently been transformed, under operation "rete snella" (streamlined network), into a mere halting point, with no secondary tracks or points. Similar changes have also been made to several other stations on the line.
Passenger and train movements
The station has about 2.3 million passenger movements each year. It is served by all regional trainsRegional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
, and also some InterCity
InterCity
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...
and Eurostar Italia
Eurostar Italia
Eurostar Italia is a network of Italian high-speed inter-city trains, operated by Trenitalia . Trenitalia states that there are 130 train journeys per day....
trains.
Interchange
In the square in front of the station, there bus stops for bus services to San Michele, Santa Maria, Savagna, Ruta and Pianello.See also
- History of rail transport in Italy
- List of railway stations in Liguria
- 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
This article is based upon a translation of the Italian language version as at December 2010.