Formia railway station
Encyclopedia
Formia railway station serves the city and comune
of Formia
, in the region
of Lazio, central Italy
.
Opened in 1892, the station presently forms part of the Rome–Formia–Naples railway, which was completed in 1927. Previously, and originally, the station was part of the now abandoned Sparanise–Gaeta railway, the Formia–Gaeta section of which is currently in the process of being reconstructed.
All trains passing through the station are defined as being via Formia, to distinguish them from trains operating on the older and slower Rome–Naples railway via Cassino.
The station is currently managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI). However, the commercial area of the passenger building
is managed by Centostazioni
. Train services are operated by Trenitalia
. Each of these companies is a subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato
(FS), Italy's state-owned rail company.
The construction of the Rome–Formia–Naples railway in the 1920s positively changed the destiny of the station and negatively affected the Sparanise–Gaeta line. For an initial period, the Formia–Sparanise section of the latter line was used by trains to Rome because the direct route was not yet finished. Upon the completion of the new line, traffic was diverted to that line, and the numbers of travellers on the Formia–Sparanise section dropped dramatically.
Even so, the opening of the Naples–Formia–Rome railway in 1927 transformed the station into an important rail junction
. For that reason, it was fitted with additional platforms and greatly expanded. In order to offer a better service on the Sparanise–Gaeta line, two types of trains were created for that line: first, a group of trains travelling along the Formia–Sparanise section, and secondly, a shuttle service between Formia and Gaeta.
In 1957, the Sparanise–Formia section of the Sparanise–Gaeta line was closed. The more popular passenger services between Formia and Gaeta resisted closure until 1966. A moderate goods service continued on that section until the Sparanise–Gaeta line was wholly abandoned in 1981. The Formia–Gaeta section is currently in the process of being reconstructed.
Inside the passenger building, at ground level, are a ticketing office, waiting room, bar, restaurant and luggage facilities. The upper floors are used for Trenitalia offices.
The station has five through tracks faced by platforms fitted with shelters and subways for passenger service, plus a platform dock once used for a shuttle service between Formia and Gaeta.
There is also a goods yard and warehouse, but relatively little goods traffic.
All InterCity
trains passing through the station stop there, but Eurostar Italia
trains do not. Regional trains
link Formia with other destinations in Lazio, including Rome
, and with destinations in Campania
, including Naples
and Salerno
.
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 Formia
Formia
Formia is a city and comune in the province of Latina, on the Mediterranean coast of Lazio . It is located halfway between Rome and Naples, and lies on the Roman-era Appian Way.-History:...
, in the 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 Lazio, central Italy
Central Italy
Central 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 1892, the station presently forms part of the Rome–Formia–Naples railway, which was completed in 1927. Previously, and originally, the station was part of the now abandoned Sparanise–Gaeta railway, the Formia–Gaeta section of which is currently in the process of being reconstructed.
All trains passing through the station are defined as being via Formia, to distinguish them from trains operating on the older and slower Rome–Naples railway via Cassino.
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 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
Formia railway station is situated at Piazza 4 Novembre, on the north side of the city centre.History
The station was opened on 4 May 1892, upon the inauguration of the Sparanise–Gaeta railway. It was composed initially of two passenger tracks and a small goods yard.The construction of the Rome–Formia–Naples railway in the 1920s positively changed the destiny of the station and negatively affected the Sparanise–Gaeta line. For an initial period, the Formia–Sparanise section of the latter line was used by trains to Rome because the direct route was not yet finished. Upon the completion of the new line, traffic was diverted to that line, and the numbers of travellers on the Formia–Sparanise section dropped dramatically.
Even so, the opening of the Naples–Formia–Rome railway in 1927 transformed the station into an important rail junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
. For that reason, it was fitted with additional platforms and greatly expanded. In order to offer a better service on the Sparanise–Gaeta line, two types of trains were created for that line: first, a group of trains travelling along the Formia–Sparanise section, and secondly, a shuttle service between Formia and Gaeta.
In 1957, the Sparanise–Formia section of the Sparanise–Gaeta line was closed. The more popular passenger services between Formia and Gaeta resisted closure until 1966. A moderate goods service continued on that section until the Sparanise–Gaeta line was wholly abandoned in 1981. The Formia–Gaeta section is currently in the process of being reconstructed.
Features
Formia's passenger building is a large structure made up of several conjoined sections, ranging from single to three storeys in height. The ground floor level of the central section is faced with marble, and has five arched entrances. The upper levels of that section, and the other sections, are painted an off white colour.Inside the passenger building, at ground level, are a ticketing office, waiting room, bar, restaurant and luggage facilities. The upper floors are used for Trenitalia offices.
The station has five through tracks faced by platforms fitted with shelters and subways for passenger service, plus a platform dock once used for a shuttle service between Formia and Gaeta.
There is also a goods yard and warehouse, but relatively little goods traffic.
Passenger and train movements
The station has about 2.5 million passenger movements each year.All InterCity
InterCity
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...
trains passing through the station stop there, but 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 do not. Regional trains
Regional 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...
link Formia with other destinations in Lazio, including Rome
Roma Termini railway station
Roma Termini is the main train station of Rome. It is named after the district of the same name, which in turn took its name from ancient Baths of Diocletian , which lie across the street from the main entrance.-Overview:The station has regular train services to all major Italian cities as well...
, and with destinations in Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, including Naples
Napoli Centrale railway station
Napoli Centrale is the main railway station in the city of Naples and southern Italy and the sixth largest station in Italy in terms of passenger flow. It is located next to Piazza Garibaldi to the east of the old city...
and Salerno
Salerno railway station
Salerno railway station serves the Italian city of Salerno and was opened in 1866.-Overview:It is located at the junction of several lines, including two major national lines, the Naples–Salerno line and the Salerno–Reggio Calabria line. It is also served by two regional lines, the...
.
See also
- History of rail transport in Italy
- List of railway stations in Lazio
- 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:...
- Latina railway stationLatina railway stationLatina is the main railway station of the Italian city of Latina, in the region of Lazio. It is owned by the Ferrovie dello Stato, the national rail company of Italy, and is an important train station of its region.-Geography:...
External links
This article is based upon a translation of the Italian language version as at December 2010.