Società per le strade ferrate dell'Alta Italia
Encyclopedia
The Società per le strade ferrate dell'Alta Italia (Upper Italian Railways, SFAI) was an Italian railway
company from 1865 to 1885.
It was established on 1 July 1865 with 1057.5 miles (1,701.9 km) miles of line it acquired from the state railway of the Kingdom of Sardinia
(Piedmont
) (453.5 miles (729.8 km)), the part of the state railway of the former Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
(604 miles (972 km)) that had been absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy
in 1859 after the Second Italian War of Independence
and some other private railways. At its establishment, it included the Turin–Genoa, the Fréjus line, the Turin–Milan, Milan–Chiasso
, Milan–Domodossola, Milan–Bologna
and the Bologna–Pistoia lines
. After Austria
's defeat in the Third Italian War of Independence
in 1866, the railways of the Veneto
(amounting to 230 miles (370.1 km)), including the Milan–Venice line
, were transferred to the SFAI. On 1 July 1885 its network was taken over by the Rete Mediterranea (Mediterranean Network) and the Rete Adriatica (Adriatic Network), with lines generally west of Milan
going to the Rete Mediterranea.
History of Railways in Italy
The railways in Italy are one of the most important infrastructure in the country, with c. of track.-Origins:Railways were introduced in Italy when it was still a divided country....
company from 1865 to 1885.
It was established on 1 July 1865 with 1057.5 miles (1,701.9 km) miles of line it acquired from the state railway of the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom 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...
(Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
) (453.5 miles (729.8 km)), the part of the state railway of the former Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia was created at the Congress of Vienna, which recognised the House of Habsburg's rights to Lombardy and Venetia after the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed by Napoleon in 1805, had collapsed...
(604 miles (972 km)) that had been absorbed into 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...
in 1859 after the Second Italian War of Independence
Second Italian War of Independence
The Second War of Italian Independence, Franco-Austrian War, Austro-Sardinian War, or Austro-Piedmontese War , was fought by Napoleon III of France and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia against the Austrian Empire in 1859...
and some other private railways. At its establishment, it included the Turin–Genoa, the Fréjus line, the Turin–Milan, Milan–Chiasso
Milan–Chiasso railway line
The Milano–Chiasso railway line is an Italian state-owned railway connecting Milan to Como and Chiasso, Switzerland.It is electrified at 3000 volts DC. Between Milan and Monza it has four tracks and is used not only by trains operating to and from Como, but also by freight and passenger trains...
, Milan–Domodossola, Milan–Bologna
Milan–Bologna railway line
The Milan–Bologna railway is the northern part of the traditional main north-south trunk line of the Italian railway network. It closely follows the ancient Roman Road, the Via Aemilia. The line was opened between 1859 and 1861 as a single-line railway, and was doubled between 1866 and 1894. It was...
and the Bologna–Pistoia lines
Porrettana railway
The Porrettana Railway is an Italian railway connecting Bologna to Pistoia and was the first line through the Apennines between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. It is also known in Italian as the Transappenninica...
. After Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
's defeat in the Third Italian War of Independence
Third Italian War of Independence
The Third Italian War of Independence was a conflict which paralleled the Austro-Prussian War, and was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austrian Empire.-Background:...
in 1866, the railways of the Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
(amounting to 230 miles (370.1 km)), including the Milan–Venice line
Milan–Venice railway line
The Milan–Venice railway line is one of the most important railway lines in Italy. It connects the major city of Milan, in Lombardy, with the Adriatic Sea at Venice, in Veneto. The line is state-owned and operated by the state rail infrastructure company, Rete Ferroviaria Italiana that classifies...
, were transferred to the SFAI. On 1 July 1885 its network was taken over by the Rete Mediterranea (Mediterranean Network) and the Rete Adriatica (Adriatic Network), with lines generally west of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
going to the Rete Mediterranea.