European Railroad Discussion > Rome Interurbans, Streetcars, Etc.

Some shots of several modes of electric traction from a recent visit to Rome.  ATAC operates the Rome Metro, 5 streetcar lines, the remnants of the Roma-Giardinetti interurban, and a couple of former interurban lines that have been upgraded to near-Metro standards with old Metro equipment.  All lines run very frequently, and day passes are available, as well as 2 or 3 day passes.  Passes are also valid on the FS suburban lines within the Rome conurbation.  The most interesting line is the Roma-Giardinetti interurban, which has has a 950mm track gauge, and has been cut back to be a Roma-Centocelle line because of Metro construction.   It was proposed for conversion to a busway, but has now been apparently saved as a rail line and will be retained and upgraded.   I have not been able to find any information on the rolling stock on the interurban line. 

Best spot to witness traction in Rome is at Porta Maggiore, where several streetcars lines cross the Centocelle interurban line at an interchange that is constructed underneath a Roman aqueduct structure from 52 AD.

FYI - On the Metro I was instructed by armed guards not to take photos, and one train driver on the Roma-Lido line signaled me furiously when I took a photo. 

1.  Interurban at Porta Maggiore westbound (toward Laziali - next to Termini).  Aqueduct in background.
2.  Interurbans crossing at Porta Maggiore under aqueduct.   
3.  Interurbans crossing at Porta Maggiore. 
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/16 15:21 by dwatry.

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4.   Westbound interurban at Tor Pignattara.
5.  Interior of older equipment.
6.  Eastbound interurban at Tor Pignattara. 
 

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7.  Westbound interurban at Balzani. 
8.  Eastbound approaching Ponte Casilino - note gantlet track in constrained right-of-way. 
9.  Interurban at Porta Maggiore crossing streetcar track. 
 

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10.   ATAC tram on Line 8 at San Camillo (near Trastevere).   
11.  ATAC tram on Line 19 at Piazza Buenos Aires.  Tram originally built 1948-49. 
12. ATAC Socimi tram on Line 19 at Piazza Buenos Aires.  Tram built 1990. 
 

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13.   Socimi tram at Porta Maggiore.
14.  Line 19 tram at Porta Maggiore.
15.  Line 19 tram at Porta Maggiore.
 

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16.  Metro Line A train at Ottaviano San Pietro station.  Armed guards told me not to take photos right after I snapped this picture. 
17.  ATAC Roma-Lido train at Ostia Antica station.  Train driver sounded horn repeatedly and waved at me not to take photos right after I took this photo. 
18.  ATAC Roma-Lido train at Ostia Antica. 
 

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Very nice coverage 

Duncan - did you ride or see the Roma Nord line from Flaminio to Viterbo? When I last visited Rome it was a running museum with plenty of obsolete MU cars. I suspect that may have changed.

I visited Rome in 1960 and was able to ride a streetcar in a large circle around the city and being close to some historic spots.  Obviously, it took a while to return to our origination point but it was very inexpensive and a pleasant ride.  Does that line still exist?

Nick - Did not see or ride the Flaminio-Viterbo line, unfortunately.  It was always tantalizingly close but could never quite get there. 

boejoe - I think you may be referring to either the 3 or the 19-line, which partialy overlap and make an arc around the east side of the city.  Both of these lines still run very frequently.  A bunch of my streetcar photos were of 19-line cars. 

 

dwatry Wrote:
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> Nick - Did not see or ride the Flaminio-Viterbo
> line, unfortunately.  It was always tantalizingly
> close but could never quite get there. 
>
> boejoe - I think you may be referring to either
> the 3 or the 19-line, which partialy overlap and
> make an arc around the east side of the city. 
> Both of these lines still run very frequently.  A
> bunch of my streetcar photos were of 19-line
> cars. 
>

In October I took the 3 tram from Piramide to the capolinea or end of the line in the Borghese Gardens. It's an interesting trip, and you see parts of Rome that are not touristy. As dwatry wrote, the 3 and 19 overlap for a good bit of their routes. The 19 goes to Piazza Risorgimento, near the Vatican. The 3 originates in Trastevere. 

Here's a link to a map of the tram system:  http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=5
>  



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/16 06:43 by colehour.

We got off the 19-line tram at Piazza Buenos Aires and had a very nice lunch there before going to the Villa Borghese.  If you are an architecture buff - about a block away is Piazza Mincio, which has a whole neighborhood of very oddball quirky 1915-era buildings, designed by Gino Coppedde. 

http://www.romeing.it/quartiere-coppede-rome/

dwatry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The most interesting line is
> the Roma-Giardinetti interurban, which has has a
> 950mm track gauge, and has been cut back to be a
> Roma-Centocelle line because of Metro
> construction. 
> I have not been able to find any information on
> the rolling stock on the interurban line. 

The 400 series cars date back to 1958-62 and wre built by ACOTRAL (Consortile Tranporti del Lazio - the operator)/MATER (Motori Alternatori Transformatori Elettrici Roma SpA)/Ranieri (another Rome based company). The 800 series units, which are cousins to Manchester's first Metrolink cars, are by Ansaldo/FIREMA and were first introduced in 1987/88.

I visited Rome in July 2006 and went to the Roma Porta San Paolo Railway Garden Museum, located in the former freight portion of the San Paolo station. I was rather surprised to get the bum's rush from a police officer for photographing the displayed equipment, located away from the operating part of the station. Oh well, I got the photos.

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I did notice this trip that the ATAC staff seemed to be very anti-photo.  I got told by numerous staff around the Metro, the interurban line terminus next to Termini, and the Lido line that photos were not allowed.  There are no signs to that effect anywhere.  The San Paolo station is run by ATAC, not FS, so maybe that is the issue.  Seems ridiculous to not allow photos of historic displays.  

Part of my surprise was due to the fact that in 2002 I had taken lots of photos around the stations in Florence, Pisa, and Genoa and no one paid the slightest attention to me. Same thing in Milan and Venice last year. Maybe because those were all FS operations... 

Excellent thread - I have been curious about the trams frm my previous visits to Rome but didn't get much of a chance to explore.
I did get this grab shot back in 2003 of the Viterbo line just outside of Viterbo on our way to Villa Lante.

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