Bologna–Florence high-speed railway

Legend From Pistoia / Milan (high-speed and traditional) / Padua and Verona 96+908 Bologna Centrale 96+578 To Ancona) To Portomaggiore 93+461 Bivio Crociali(Bologna ring railway) 90+490 6+433 Bologna San Ruffillo 5+205 Old line to Florence From Bologna High-Speed station (under construction) 83+763 Pianoro tunnel(10,841 m) 4+724 Connecting tunnel 4+527 Signaling boundary 0+206 0+206 Pianoro tunnel 0+000 78+487 Emilia junction 72+920 Pianoro tunnel(exit) 72+220 Sadurano tunnel(3,855 m) 68+352 68+290 Monte Bibele tunnel(9,243 m) 60+166 P.M.[1] Idice 59+047 52+920 Raticosa tunnel(10,450 m) 48+341 48+268 Scheggianico tunnel(3,558 m) 44+712 44+445 Firenzuola tunnel(15,285 m) 43+834 P.M. San Pellegrino 29+165 28+948 Borgo Rinzelli tunnel(717 m) 28+231 27+323 Morticine tunnel(654 m) 26+630 24+192 P.M. San Piero a Sieve 29+165 Vaglia tunnel(18,713 m) 5+611 Signaling boundary 5+442 Old line from Bologna / Line from Viareggio 5+372 Firenze Castello To Pisa 2+766 Firenze Rifredi Lines to Faenza, Rome and Rome (high-speed) 0+000 Firenze Santa Maria Novella

The Bologna–Florence high-speed railway is a link in the Italian high-speed rail network. It is part of Corridor 1 of the European Union's Trans-European high-speed rail network, which connects Berlin and Palermo. Full commercial operations commenced on 5 December 2009. High-speed passenger trains take 37 minutes over the route compared to about 59 minutes previously.^[2]

The line's northern end is at Bologna Centrale railway station and it connects with the Milan–Bologna high-speed line and lines to Venice and Verona. Its southern end is at Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station and it connects with the Florence–Rome high-speed line. It is used by high-speed passenger trains, while some goods trains will continue to use the old Bologna–Florence railway, completed in 1934 and known as the Direttissima.

The line is 78.5 km long and includes 73.8 km of tunnels, 3.6 km on embankment or in cutting and 1.1 km on viaduct.^[3] From Bologna to Florence, the tunnels are:^[2]

• Pianoro, 10,841 m
• Sadurano, 3,855 m
• Monte Bibele, 9,243 m
• Raticosa, 10,450 m
• Scheggianico, 3,558 m
• Firenzuola, 15,285 m
• Borgo Rinzelli, 717 m
• Morticine, 654 m
• Vaglia, 18,713 m

Maximum rock coverage over tunnels is about 600 to 700 m. All tunnels are double track. Each tunnel has an intermediate access from the surface about every 5 km, except the Vaglia tunnel, which instead has a parallel service tunnel for about half of its length.

The construction of the line, including electrification, was completed in 2008 and testing of the line commenced in December 2008. The line was handed over to the rail network on 30 June 2009. The first commercial service occurred on 4 December 2009 and it was officially opened next day.^[4]

The line was estimated to cost €1 billion (1991 values in lire converted to euros), but ended up costing €5.2 billion (€67 million per km).^[3]

See also

• Structurae dedicated page : Florence-Bologna High-Speed Rail Line http://en.structurae.de/projects/data/index.cfm?ID=p0000149
• High-speed rail in Italy

References

1. "Posto di movimento", that is a passing loop, allowing slower trains to be overtaken.
2. "The new high speed Bologna–Florence line" (PDF). Treno Alta Velocità. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
3. "Bologne–Firenze HSL opens". Today's Railways Europe. March 2010: 36–39.
4. "Milano–Novara and Bologna–Firenze HSLs open". Today's Railways Europe. February 2010: 12.