We begin this article with a look at maps of the Piazza Raffeale de Ferrari and its immediate environs over the years around the turn of the 20th century. The Piazza became one of two focal points for tramways in the city (the other was Caricamento).
I found the series of maps interesting and they provoked a desire to find out more about the network of horse-drawn and later electric trams and tramways of Genoa. ….
Italian Wikipedia informs us that: “The first public transport in Genoa was provided by a horse bus service linking the city centre and Sampierdarena, that started in 1873. In 1878, the French company Compagnia Generale Francese de Tramways (CGFT, French General Company of Tramways) began to build a horse tram system.” [16][17]
Towards the end of the century, the new urban plan led to the construction of new roads with wider carriageways, principal among these were:
Via Assarotti connecting Piazza Corvetto to Piazza Manin;
Via XX Settembre, built between 1892 and 1899, widening Strada Giulia and connecting the Palazzo Ducale (Piazza de Ferrari) with Porta Pila and the banks of the River Bisagno (once the eastern boundary of the city);
Corso Buenos Aires, once outside the city walls, was lowered to the level of Ponte Pila and the new Via XX Settembre, to form a single artery that would connect the centre with the Albaro district;
Corso Torino, perpendicular to Corso Buenos Aires.
After this work was done, the city began to look more modern and the widened streets made room for tramways in the centre and East of the city. The municipal administration began to plan new lines, both towards the eastern suburbs and in the central districts of the city. [19]
The city welcomed competition and set up a series of concessions which were given to different groups: the French Company kept the Western concession; Val Bisagno and the hilly areas to two Swiss businessman (Bucher & Durrer); and the east of the city was granted to a group of local businessmen. [19][20: p66]
The two parties, other than the French, formed companies: Bucher created the Società di Ferrovie Elettriche e Funicolari (SFEF) in 1891. [20: p85] The Genoese entrepreneurs founded the Società Anonima Tramways Orientali (SATO) in 1894. [20: p120] The two companies took on the two concessions which envisaged electric traction on metre-gauge lines to accommodate running on the narrow winding streets of the city centre. [19]
“By 1894, SFEF had achieved no more than a single short electric tram line between Piazza Manin and Piazza Corvetto, whilst SATO had not progressed beyond the planning stage. The CGFT system had extended through the city and the Val Polcevera, but was still horse operated.” [16][17]
“In 1894, the German company Allgemeine Elektrizitäts Gesellschaft (AEG) … bought both the SFEF and SATO companies. The following year AEG created the company Officine Electrical Genovesi (OEG), … which took over the city’s existing electricity supply company, and the Società Unione Italiana Tramways Elettrici (UITE), … which purchased the CGFT’s concession. By the end of 1895, AEG had a monopoly of both electricity supply and public transport provision in the city.” [16][17] Under AEG’s “ownership, SFEF and SATO developed a tram network of more than 53 km (33 mi) reaching Nervi and Prato, whilst UITE electrified their lines to Voltri and Pontedecimo.” [16][17]
As we have already noted, the first electric traction line connected Piazza Corvetto to Piazza Manin, running along Via Assarotti. [20: p92] It was activated by SFEF on 14th May 1893 [20: p96] The single-track line was 800 metres long and ran on a constant gradient of 7% [20: p95]; the tickets cost 10 cents. The electrification (600 V DC) was via an overhead cable and was carried out by AEG of Berlin, which, as we have already seen, later acquired a significant shareholding in the company. [19][20: p86-87]
In subsequent years the SFEF network expanded rapidly; in 1895-96 the Monte line to the North of the city centre entered into service, including the Sant’Ugo spiral tunnel; in 1896 the line from Piazza Principe to Piazza Brignole was born. It included two tunnels in the Castelletto area. [21: p20] , In 1897, the Val Bisagno line up to Prato began operation. [19][21: p26]
The first SATO line entered into service on 26th July 1897, connecting Piazza Raibetta to Staglieno through the Circonvallazione a Mare, [20: p122] followed two years later by the long coastal line to Nervi. [20: p127] In 1900 the eastern trams reached the central Piazza de Ferrari, travelling along the new Via XX Settembre which was formed through widening of the old Via Giulia. [19][21: p53]
The two networks, SFEF and SATO, were technically compatible and the two companies, both controlled by AEG, soon unified the two networks. [20: p142]
“Finally in December 1901, AEG merged SFEF and SATO into an enlarged UITE.” [16][17]
The enlarged UITE found itself managing 70 km of network, divided between the 30 km of the ‘Western network’: (formerly the French Company) and the 40 km of the ‘Eastern network’ (formerly SFEF and SATO). [20: p170-171] The unification of the network led to an increase in overall traffic, symbolised by the creation of the vast ring terminus in Piazza de Ferrari in 1906. [20: p129]
This seems the right time to look again at the ‘ring terminus’ in Piazza de Raffeale Ferrari. ….
In 1908, after three years of construction work, Galleria Certosa (Certosa Tunnel) was put into use. It facilitated tram journeys to and from the Polcevera valley, avoiding the crossing of San Pier d’Arena. [19][21: p38] The tunnel connected Piazza Dinegro, in the port area, to the Rivarolo district in Val Polcevera. It was 1.76 km long. [22]
In 1934, Galleria Certosa was used every day by five lines: Tram No. 9 (San Giorgio-Rivarolo), tram No. 10 (San Giorgio-Bolzaneto), tram No. 11 (San Giorgio-Pontedecimo) and the two circular lines between San Giorgio and Sampierdarena. [22]
Having noted the construction of Galleria Certosa in the early years of the 20th century (above), it is worth looking at some other tunnels which were built to facilitate the movement of trams.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele III (renamed Galleria Giuseppe Garibaldi on 27th November 1943)
There seems to be quite a story to the life of this tunnel! The first two photographs show the first tunnel. They focus on the portal in Piazza Della Zeccan.
These next two photographs show the tunnel as it was first widened in the form which preceded the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele III which had a much smaller bore.
Named after Christopher Columbus, whose house was nearby, the gallery was opened to the public in the 1930s and was hailed as the city’s gateway to the sea. It connected Piazza de Ferrari and Piazza della Vittoria.
Now long gone, there was a tram tunnel on Via Milano to the Southwest of the city centre. It took the tramway (and roadway) under San Benigno Hill. It was.built in 1878 by the Compagnia Generale Francese dei Tramways for its horse-drawn trams. Its Southwest portal was in Largo Laterna. Its Northeast portal is shown in the first image below.
In the early years of the 20th century, the municipal administration began to consider the idea of taking control of the tram service. In anticipation of this, in 1913, it built its own line from Marassi to Quezzi, known as Municipal Line A, it was operated by UITE on behalf of the Municipality. [19][21: p44]
Before the start of World War 1, the tram network provided these services: [19]
21 De Ferrari – Manin – Staglieno 22 De Ferrari – Manin 23 De Ferrari – Manin – Castelletto 24 De Ferrari – Manin – Castelletto – San Nicholo 25 Circuit in the hilly suburbs 26 Piazza Principe – Corso Ugo Bassi 27 De Ferrari – Zecca – Principe 28 Caricamento – De Ferrari – Galliera ‘Ospital 29 De Ferrari – Carignano 30 Circular Raibetta – Brignole – Corvetto – Raibetta 31 De Ferrari – Staglieno – Molassana – Prato 32 De Ferrari – Staglieno – Molassana 33 De Ferrari – Pila – Staglieno 34 Staglieno – Iassa 35 Pila – Staglieno 36 Pila – Staglieno – Molassana 37 De Ferrari – San Fruttuoso 38 De Ferrari – Foce 39 De Ferrari – San Francesco – Sturla – Priaruggia – Quinto – Nervi 40 De Ferrari – San Francesco – Sturla – Priaruggia – Quinto 41 De Ferrari – San Francesco – Sturla – Priaruggia 42 De Ferrari – San Francesco – Sturla 43 De Ferrari – Villa Raggio – Lido 44 De Ferrari – Tommaseo – San Martino – Borgoratti 45 De Ferrari – Tommaseo – San Martino – Sturla 46 De Ferrari – Tommaseo – San Martino 47 De Ferrari – Tommaseo 48 Raibetta – Pila
III. Municipal line:
A De Ferrari – Quezzi
The Western Network, particularly before World War One
Lines 1 to 11 constituted the Western Network. All of these lines had their city centre terminus at Piazza Caricamento. The Piazza is shown on the adjacent 1916 map.
The map shows part of the Port area of Genoa (Genova) in 1916 with a significant series of standard-gauge railway sidings in evidence (black lines) and some red lines which indicate the metre-gauge tram routes. Piazza Caricamento is close to the water halfway down the map extract. [31]
There were three main routes out of Piazza Caricamento, one of which followed the coast round to meet the lines on the East of the city. The other two shared the bulk of the services leaving the piazza. One of these two routes ran West through San Pier d’Arena (Sampierdarena), the other ran through Galleria Certosa.
The route to San Pier d’Arena (Sampierdarena) closely follows the coast and ran through the Galleria on Via Milano before the San Benigno Hill was raised to the ground.
Pictures of the Galleria can be seen earlier in this article.
West of the Galleria, the original tramway ran along what is now Via Giacomo Buranello (what was Via Vittorio Emanuele) to Sampierdarena. This route appears to the North of the SS1 on the satellite image below.
Before looking at line further West from Sampierdarena we need to note a line which was added to the network before WW1.
A second tramway was built which ran alongside the railway sidings on what is now the SS1, it was then Via Milano, towards Sampierdarena. The route is illustrated by the mid-20th century view below.
That route along Via Sampierdarena (Via Milano and Via Colombo) and then Via Pacinotti is illustrated at the bottom of the map below. After running along the centre of Via Sampierdarena, trams turned inland, heading Northwest to join the earlier route, West of Piazza Vittorio Veneto on Via Pacinotti.
A map provided by the Marklinfan.com Forum which shows the new coastal tram route mentioned above. [92]
The Western Network’s Coastal Line(s)
At Sampierdarena the original lines of the Western network separated. Some lines continuing along the coast and others turning inland. The lines diverged at the West end of Piazza Vittorio Veneto. The coastal line ran along what is today Via Frederico Avio, then turned onto what is now Via Antonio Pacinotti, before turning West on what is now Via Raffaele Pieragostini, crossing the River Polcevera at Ponte di Cornigliano, running along Via Giovanni Ansaldo before joining Via Cornigliano at Piazza Andrea Massena.
We have followed the Western Network as far as we can along the coast. We now need to look at the line(s) of the Western network which ran up the valley of the River Polcevera from Sampierdarena.
To do this we need to return to Piazza Vittorio Veneto in Sampierdarena.
The Western Network and Val Polcevera (the Valley of the River Polcevera)
The lines to the North left Piazza Vittorio Veneto at its Western end, passing immediately through an underpass under the FS Standard Gauge railway.
In the 19th century the route was known as ‘Via Vittorio Emanuele’. In the early years of the 20th century the road was renamed ‘Via Umberto 1’. In 1935, the city gave the road the name ‘Via Milite Ignoto’ (the Unknown Soldier). This decision appears to have been short-live as very soon the road was divided into two lengths, the more southerly length becoming ‘Via Martiri Fascisti’, the remaining length, ‘Via delle Corporazioni’. After the end of Word War Two renaming again occurred. In 1945 the names which continue to be used in the 21st century were chosen – ‘Via Paolo Reti’ and ‘Via Walter Fillak ‘. Fillak and Reti were partisans in WW2. [59][66]
A view from above … This is Piazza (Via) Vittorio Emanuele seen from the West. The tram tracks can be seen heading away through the underpass in the foreground. [75]
The route of this part of the old tramway network begins at this rail underpass (where the street is now named, ‘Piazza Nicolo Montano’, having once been Via Nino Bixio), [65] before running along Via Paolo Reti and then Via Walter Fillak. Just beyond the underpass the railway station access left the road on the left. The first old postcard views below show this location.
Two pixelated, low definition images showing the bottom end of what was Via Umberto 1. One the left in both images is the incline leading to the Sampierdarena Railway Station forecourt. [59]A tram sits at a stop at Piazza Montano. This image was shared on the Foto Genova Antica Facebook Group by Annamaria Patti on 22nd May 2022. [3]Three further postcard views, of better quality, of the bottom end of Via Umberto 1, (c) Public Domain. [59][62][63]The view to the Northeast from the rail underpass in 2024. The station approach is on the left. The old tramway curved round to the left below the station approach’s retaining wall. [Google Streetview, August 2024]Just a little further along the old tram route. The retaining wall on the left supports the station approach road. The tramway ran on along what is now Via Paolo Reti. For some distance the road was flanked by a retaining wall supporting the FS standard-gauge railway. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
The adjacent Google satellite image shows roads over which the old tramway ran. In the bottom right is Piazza Nicolo Montano. It is also possible to make out the station approach ramp which has a number of cars parked on it. In the immediate vicinity of the passenger railway station, railway buildings can be seen separating Via Paolo Reti from the railway but very soon the road and the railway run side-by-side with the railway perhaps 2 to 3 metres above the road. Via Eustachio Degola passes under the railway just to the North of the station buildings. Towards the top of the satellite image, Via Paolo Reti can be seen turning away from the railway wall. [Google Maps, December 2024]
Via Paolo Reti (the former Via Umberto 1) turns away from the railway wall which is now much lower than it was near the station buildings. [Google Streetview, August 2024]Via Umberto 1, looking North from the bend visible in the photograph above where the road leaves the side of the railway, (c) Public Domain. [68]Via Paolo Reti (once Via Umberto 1) at the same location as the monochrome image above. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
The monochrome image below purports to show Piazza San Marino. As far as I can work out the piazza was historically, ‘Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III’ and later renamed for another partisan from World War 2 – ‘Piazza Ricardo Masnata’.
A relatively low quality image of Piazza San Marino and Via Umberto 1. The piazza later became Piazza Ricardo Masnata. This view looks North with a tram visible on the left, (c) Public Domain. [64]Piazza Ricardo Masnata, looking North. There is little to link this image from 2024 with the monochrome image above, other than the alignment of the roads and the shape of the piazza. However, at the centre of this image is a lower building which also appears in the monochrome image. [Google Streetview, August 2024]Via Umberto 1 looking North from what became Piazza Ricardo Masnata, (c) Public Domain. [67]The same location in the 21st century. [GVia Umberto 1, now Via Walter Fillak with a tram heading towards Genoa. [69]The same location on Via Walter Fillak in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
The line from Sampierdarena ran towards Certosa where, once Galleria Certosa was completed, it met the line through the tunnel.
The tramway followed Via Celesia through Rivarolo (Superior). Rivarolo and Via Celesia can be seen at the bottom of this extract from openstreetmap.org. [79]
This image from the early 20th century looks North along Via Celesia. Space on the street was clearly at a premium! [80]Via Celesia in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
North of Via Celesia, the tramway ran along Via Rivarolo.
This postcard shows the junction at the North end of Via Celesia, circa. 1920s. Via Rivarolo is ahead. This image was shared on the C’era una volta Genova Facebook Group by Mario Vanni on 18th August 2019, (c) Public Domain. [82]The smae location in the 21st century. [Google Streeetview, August 2024]This next extract from openstreetmap.org shows Via Rivarolo entering bottom-left. Trams ran on into Teglia on Via Teglia and continued on to Bolzaneto (in the top-right of this extract) along Via Constantino Reta. [79]This postcard view looks South along what is now Via Teglia (then Via Regina Margherita. This image was shared on the C’era una volta Genova Facebook Group by Elio Berneri on 19th October 2020, (c) Public Domain. [83]A very similar view at the same location in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]Car 906 in service on line 7 Caricamento – Pontedecimo, one of the longest of the UITE, is seen here running in Bolzaneto. The photograph was taken facing North. In the background you can see another Tramcar, as well as a third on the track in the opposite direction, (c) Public Domain. [84]A similar North facing view in Bolzaneto in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]A tram waits at Piazza del Municipio in Bolzaneto. This image was shared by Mario Vanni on the C’era una volta Genova Facebook Group on 8th July 2021, (c) Public Domain. [85]A very similat view of the same location in the 21st century. The road on which the bus is standing is now known as Via Pasquale Pastorino. [Google Streetview, August 2024]A few hundred metres to the Northeast is the area known as ‘Bratte’. A tram waits in the mid-20th century to set off for Caricamento. This image was shared on the C’era una volta Genova Facebook Group by Roberto Della Rocca on 12th December 2020. [86]A similar view at the same location in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
North of Bratte, Trams crossed the River Secca, a tributary of the Polcevera, following Via Ferriere Bruzzo and then continued North alongside the River Polcevera on Via San Quirico.
Tram No 79 leads a trailer car South on Via San Quirico in the first decades of the 20th century. It seems as though Ponte Tullio Barbieri can be seen behind the tram. This image was shared by Sergio De Nicolai on the C’era una volta Genova Facebook Group on 21st October 2018. [88]A similar location on Via San Quirico in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, July 2022]
Trams passed under the FS Standard-gauge lines close to Ponte Tullio Barbieri. [Google Streetview, June 2022]Trams ran on through the centre on San Quirico on Via San Quirico.Before returning to the side of the river, passing under the railway again. [Google Streetview, July 2022]
The next length of the journey is the last. Trams terminated at Pontedecimo. [79]
A tram and trailercar on Lungo Polcevera in Pontedecimo close to Pontedecimo Railway Station, This image was taken looking South along the river bank and was shared by Giorgio Gioli on the C’era una volta Genova Facebook Group on 4th November 2020. [89]This view looks South along the bank of the River Polcevera at a location similar to that in the image above. [Googler Streetview, January 2021]
The central piazza in Pontedecimo. The terminus of the tram service. This image was shared on the C’era una volta Genova Facebook Group by Roberto Cito on 29th October 2023. [87]Trams terminated in Pontedecimo. [Google Streetview, July 2022]The tram depot at Pontedecimo. This image was shared on the C’era una volta Genova Facebook Group by Alessandro Lombardo on 30th October 2019. [90]
The Metropolitana di Genova is, in 2024, a single-line, double-track light rapid transit system that connects the centre of Genova, Italy with the suburb of Rivarolo Ligure, to the north-west of the city centre. It runs through to Brignole Railway Station in the East of the city. In 2024, the service is managed by Azienda Mobilità e Trasporti (AMT), which provides public transport for the city of Genoa. [1]
The Metro is a 7.1 kilometres (4.4 mi) long 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) (standard gauge) double-track line and is electrified with overhead lines at 750 volts DC. It has a direct connection with Trenitalia’s mainline railway station, Principe. [1]
The origins of a subway in Genoa date back to the beginning of the twentieth century; in 1907 Carlo Pfalz, who had already designed the Zecca-Righi Funicular, [2] was the first to explore the construction of an underground railway with electric traction. Several projects, including that of the engineer Angelo Massardo and those of Renzo Picasso (1911 and 1930), were proposed without being realized. Instead, a tram system at surface level was built which ultimately was abandoned in 1966. An attempt to introduce an alternative means of transport was made on the occasion of the International Exhibition of Marine and Maritime Hygiene of 1914: it was a ‘Telfer’, an elevated monorail that connected the Port (Giano Pier area) to the exhibition area in Piazza di Francia, in front of the Brignole station. The infrastructure was then abandoned and finally demolished in 1918. [1]
An article about the Telfer can be found here. [3]
The underground ‘Metro’ was built in a series of phases. “The first section, opened on 13th June 1990 in time for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, was 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) [6] between the stations of Brin and Dinegro. [7] The line was extended to Principe in 1992, [6] to San Giorgio-Caricamento in 2003, [6] to De Ferrari (the underground station at Piazza De Ferrari) in 2005, [6] and to Brignole in 2012.” [8]
Since 2024, citizens of Genoa have been able to use the subway free of charge without any time restrictions.[9]
Stations
Brin Station – is currently (2024) the Northwest terminus of the line. It is situated along Via Benedetto Brin in the neighbourhood of Certosa in Rivarolo Ligure, a suburban area in the north-western outskirts of Genoa, Italy. The station, currently the terminus of the line, is located just west of the tunnel mouth on the line from Dinegro station. [10] It is built on a viaduct, which allows for the line to be extended to the north.
The station was designed by architect Renzo Piano, the station’s official opening took place on 13th June 1990. [10]
Dinegro Station is located under Via Milano, adjoining the Piazza Dinegro from which it derives its name, in the Fassolo area of Genova. It is just East of the business district of San Benigno and close to the ferry terminal.
Darsena Metro Station is located on Via Antonio Gramsci close to Piazza della Darsena. ‘Darsena’ translates to ‘dock’ in English. The station serves the old port area of the city. [15]
San Georgio Station is located under Piazza della Raibetta beside the Palazzo San Giorgio, after which it is named. It is in the Old Harbour area near the Aquarium of Genoa. It was opened together with Darsena Station on 25th July 2003 and saw its first trains on 7th August 2003. [17]
The tracks of the San Giorgio station run beneath the Piazza Caricamento underpass and its underground architecture is similar to the model adopted for the Principe and Darsena stops, that is, with the tracks on the sides of the single central platform. During 2006, some electronic display boards were installed to inform users of the arrival times of trains. [17]
Sarzano/Sant’Agostino Station is located in the historical centre of Genoa. The main entrance is in the Piazza di Sarzano near the Church of St. Augustine, now deconsecrated and turned into a museum, with a second entrance on the Mura della Marina, the old seawall. It opened on 3rd April 2006. [19]
De Ferrari Station is close to Teatro Carlo Felice, Galleria Mazzini, the Doge’s Palace, and Via XX Settembre. It opened on 4th February 2005. It was originally designed, like others, by Renzo Piano with finishing touches by Renzo Truffelli. This used to be the last station on the line until the easterly extension towards Genova Brignole Railway Station opened in 2012. [21][22]
The entrance to de Ferrari Station. [23]Platform level at de Ferrari Station. [€23]
Corvetto Station – In March 2024 3Ti Projeto announced that the design of Corvetto Station had been approved by the municipality. Work is expected to cost around 38.3 million Euros and be completed late in 2024 or early in 2025. [24][25][26]
These two images show the 3Ti Projeto design for Corvetto Station. [24]
Brignole Station – sits close to the main line Brignole Station to the West of the city centre. It opened in 2012. [27]
Wikipedia tells us that Genova is just (in 2024) bringing a fourth generation of trams into service. The three previous generations each served the city well.
First Generation Rolling Stock – consisted of 6 sets of articulated cars, built by Ansaldo, and introduced in 1990. They were derived from the Zurich Tram 2000 tram used in Switzerland, but altered for standard gauge running. Each vehicle had two sections with one central articulation. They were supported on three bogies The two outer bogies were motorised. The vehicles were bidirectional and had four sets of doors on each side. They had blue seats in a transverse arrangement. The train were numbered 01 to 06. [1][29]
Second Generation Rolling Stock – was made up of a group of 12 trains. Numbered 12 to 24. Like the first generation, each train was made up of two sections resting on three bogies, with the outer two motorised. The trains were bidirectional with six doors on each side, and the seats were arranged longitudinally. The trains were built by Ansaldo and introduced in 1992. [1][30]
Third Generation Rolling Stock – these trams/trains significantly differ to the previous two. They were delivered by Hitachi Rail Italy in 2016. There are 7 trains numbered 31 to 37. The trains are longer than previous generations at 39 metres and four articulated sections with five bogies. Of the five bogies, the central three are motorised. There are a total of four doors per side of the bidirectional sets. [1][31]
Fourth Generation Rolling Stock – In anticipation of the planned extensions (see below) and considering the now thirty-year service of the first generation trains, in 2020 the Municipality obtained a loan of 70 million Euros to purchase 14 new generation trains. [32] In 2021, Hitachi Rail signed the contract to supply the new trains on a rolling programme, monthly by month, to coincide with the inauguration of the Brin-Canepari and Brignole-Martinez routes. [33]
In June 2024, Sustainable Bus E-magazine reported that the first of these new units had arrived in Genoa. [26]
New tram/train No. 42. [26]
The new units will be numbered 41 to 54. “Each of the 14 new vehicles is made up of four half-cars, resting on five bogies, for a total length of 39 metres, will be able to accommodate up to 290 passengers, will be bidirectional, and will also run in double formation for a total length of 78 metres and a capacity of 580 passengers.” [26]
“In order to ensure greater operating flexibility, these trains will also be able to operate in double traction with the 7 third-generation vehicles, the 31-37 series delivered in 2016, currently in service.” [26]
The new units entry into service will “allow the scrapping of the 6 first-generation trains, series 01-06, … the average age of the fleet will thus be lowered from 18.5 years to 9.8 years. The 10-series trains (11-22 series) built between 1991 and 1995 will be kept in operation.” [26] The fleet will therefore consist of the 21 trains of the 30, 40 and 10 series trains.
Extensions to the Network
In 2022, the Railway Gazette reported that Genova municipality had approved plans for a 3 km western branch of the metro with four stations, linking Fiumara with the city centre. [4]
The western extension of Genoa’s Metro is shown in blue. [4]
In September 2024, the city secured 74.5 million Euros to significantly expand the Metro network as shown on the map below. [5]
The planned Metro network for Genoa (Genova) as reported in September 2024. [5]
As can be seen in the map above these significant additions to the network include a length up the Val Bisagno of elevated railway (SkyMetro).
The planned SkyMetro, running up the valley of the River Bisagno. [34]
The planned investment is over 400 million Euros at 2022 prices. Genoa will receive 418.9 million Euros to finance the SkyMetro of Val Bisagno, the extension of the metro from Brin to Via Canepari and work associated with the Rio Maltempo. The majority of the new money (398.8 million Euros) is intended for the construction of the SkyMetro.
During rush hour, the new line will be able to transport eighty percent of the valley’s users, resulting in a significant reduction in the production of exhaust fumes from private cars. It will be seven kilometers long and will have a neutral energy balance thanks to the photovoltaic system mounted on the roof, which will make the SkyMetro partially sustainable. The project will reach as far as Molassana but the city has every intention to take the scheme further, as far as Prato. [34]
Veronica Pallotta; Metropolitane: Genova, Comune e Ferrovie siglano accordo per il prolungamento verso Canepari; in Ferrovie.Info (in Italian), 30th December 2020, accessed on 24th February 2022.
This article covers the northern half of the line and has a quick look at the motive power and rolling-stock used.
Another article covers the history of the Line and the southern half of its route. It can be found here. [18]
This article covers the length of the line from Sardorella to Casella. [1]A topographical map of the route. [1]Perhaps a little clearer than the topographical map. [2]
We restart our journey from Genoa to Casella at Sardorella Halt. …
The railway is on three different levels on the hillside at Sant’Olcese. The first accommodates the Chiesa Halt, the tunnel above opens out onto the second level. The third level hosts the Tullo Halt.
A photograph of a later elettromotrice travelling on this curve can be found here. [17] In the linked image, unit A12 is shown on the curve from Casella Deposito to the Vittorio Veneto bridge (over the River Scrivia). It was shared by Gian-Paolo Codebo on the Sei de Casella se… Facebook Group on 7th May 2020.
During Construction steam power was employed by the contractor and there are images around which show at least one excursion event that was steam hauled prior to the Line’s formal opening.
Two pictures can be found on the first article in this series, here. [18]
In that first article, we noted that the electric supply was originally 2400V DC. “The first electric locomotives were supplied by Breda, numbered 1 to 3. They were 360 horsepower Bo-Bo locomotives with an innovative Breda-Somarini energy recovery system, unique in Italy. In addition to the motive power, 4 third-class carriages (Nos. 50-53); 3 mixed first-third class carriages (Nos. 20-22) and 16 freight wagons of various types were delivered in 1926, well before the railway opened.” [1]
Unless noted otherwise, the paragraphs below are translated/paraphrased/amended from the Italian Wikipedia page about the Genoa (Genova) to Casella Railway. [21]
Locomotives
At the commencement of the service on the railway, the three locomotives mentioned above were supplied by Breda and numbered 1 to 3. [21]
On 23rd August 1937, two of the locomotives were destroyed in an accident near Vicomorasso in which five people lost their lives. [22: p67]
This accident meant that replacement locomotives were required. Three electric locomotives were purchased from the Società Veneta. They had been built by MAN in 1913 for the Montebelluna – Asolo and Montebelluna – Valdobbiadene tramways in Veneto which closed in 1931. [21]
One of the locomotives mentioned in the paragraph above at Stazione di Caerano sometime between 1913 and 1931 in Montebelluna, at [23]
“These locomotives entered service in 1939, initially maintaining the original numbering (053, renumbered 055 in 1943, 054 and 056), after conversion of the original power supply system from 975 V DC to 2400 V DC.” [1]
Locomotive 28 and 29 were built in 1924 for the Adriatic-Appennino Railway. The electrical equipment was supplied by TIBB of Vado Ligure; the body and bogies were made by Carminati & Toselli of Milan. Originally, they were part of a 1922 order for 14 locomotives of 950 mm gauge for the Sangritana Railway. Two (Nos. 28 and 29) were sold to Ferrovia Genova Casella (FGC) – No. 28 in 1956 and No. 29 in 1960. [22: p98 & 184] Conversion was necessary as the locomotives required a gauge change and modification from freight/baggage locomotives to passenger locomotives.
The two locomotives entered service in 1962. No. 29 is currently the oldest electric locomotive still in operation in Italy and is used in composition with three carriages (C22-C103-C104) as a historic train used on charters. No. 28 was placed in storage in 1975 and finally decommissioned and dismantled in 1998. [21][22: p184]
Electtromortices A1, A2 and A3 were built in 1929 for the Ferrovia della Val di Fiemme (Ora – Predazzo), similarly by TIBB and Carminati & Toselli. These were transferred on the closure of the Ora – Predazzo line in 1963 to the Ferrovie Genoa Casella. [21][1]
Elettromotrice A1 while employed by Ferrovia della Val di Fiemme (Ora – Predazzo) at Ora depot. [25]
A1 was painted blue/cream in 2011 with AMT logos. It was used for ordinary trains until 2019 and in 2022 it was set aside awaiting significant maintenance. [21]
A2 was reconditioned and returned to its 1929 condition. It re-entered service in June 2018. In that December it was involved in an accident but emerged with little damage. In September 2019, further restoration work was completed and from February 2020 it was undertaking a regular historic train service, usually being timetabled for Saturday running. [21][26]
A3 was built by Gleismac/EAA, after having suffered serious damage in an accident at Sardorella in 1974. It returned to service in 1983. It remained in service until 1999. After it was withdrawn, it doesn’t 12 years in storage before ultimately being dismantled in 2011. [21]
Elettromotrices, A1, A2 and A3 were part of a batch of about thirty electric locomotives which were built by Carminati and Toselli of Milan. Twenty-three of these were very similar to each other. being produced between 1924 and 1940. Three of this batch of locos (A1-A3) were deployed on the Ora-Predazzo line and on its closure came to the FGC. [21]
In addition, two 420 horsepower locomotives (max. speed 45 km/hr), B51 and B52 with Bo-Bo running gear were also transferred to the FGC in the early 1960s. [1]
Also from Val di Fiemme came six bogie-carriages, two longer coaches numbered C101 and C102 and four of shorter carriages, numbered from C103 to C106. [1]
Elettromotrices A4-A7 were built in 1957 on the chassis and bogies of locos built by TIBB/Carminati & Toselli in 1926 for the Spoleto-Norcia railway. That reconstruction was undertaken by Casaralta-TIBB. It saw the application of new electrical equipment and the adoption of a new rounded body, typical of the mid-20th century. These elettromotrices transferred to Genoa in 1970 with the closure of Spoleto-Norcia line. They entered regular service, re-numbered A4-A7, between 1971 and 1973 after gauge-conversion from 950mm to metre-gauge. [21]
Units A6 and A7 were visually the same as units A4 and A5.
Elettromotrice A6 at work on the line before it was set aside. [10]
Units A4 and A7 were scrapped (in 2014 and 2016 respectively), while A5 was restored to running order in February 2010, with the installation of fully electronic speed measuring devices and a dead man’s device, the application of a cream/blue anti-graffiti film and new AMT logos. It was taken away for restoration in 2022, and finally A6 has been shelved for over 10 years awaiting restoration. [21][22: p191]
Electric locomotives A8-A10 were built in 1993 by Firema-Officine di Cittadella at the request of Ferrovia Genova-Casella, they have identical bodies to the decommissioned A3. However, A8 uses the TIBB bogies from B51, the A9 those from B52 and the A10 those from A3. This last unit also has a body slightly different from the others due to the lower window line. [21]
Elettromotrices A11-A12 were built in 1998 by FiReMa-Officine di Cittadella at the request of Ferrovia Genova-Casella. They have a body identical to the A10. A11 underwent a restyling in 2011 with the application of cream/blue anti-graffiti film and new AMT logos and is currently used in regular service. A12 is also back in service after an extraordinary overhaul of the bogies. [21][22: p198]
Locomotive D1 was built in 1964 on behalf of the German railways by the manufacturer Gmeinder & Co. by adapting the MaK V100 standard-gauge locomotive to metre gauge, it was numbered V52 902 (later 252 902) and used on the 28 km long Mosbach-Mudau metre-gauge line. When it’s service on that line came to an end (2nd June 1973), it was first converted to standard-gauge by Gmeinder and used by Sudwestdeutsche Eisenbahngesellschaft (SWEG) which put it to work on the Breisach-Endingen-Riegel line (numbered VL46-01). In 1986, it was sold to the Gleismac company which converted it to metre-gauge and then sold it to the FGC. It was used to haul construction and passenger trains during the renovation of the overhead line. It was then set aside at Casella Deposito for over 10 years until in 2008 it was sent to Monopoli where it was rebuilt by 2014 and it returned to service on the line in November 2015. [33][34]
Locomotive D1 responsible for a single coach. [9]And here with two coaches. [9]And here, escaping from a tunnel portal. [19]
Other Rolling Stock
We have already picked up some snippets of information about coaching stock and wagons. …
When the line opened there were “4 third-class carriages (Nos. 50-53); 3 mixed first-third class (Nos. 20-22) and 16 freight wagons of various types (delivered in 1926, well before the railway opened).” [1]
We also noted that, along with the B51 and B52 locos “from Val di Fiemme came six bogie-carriages, two longer coaches numbered C101 and C102 and four of shorter carriages, numbered from C103 to C106.” [1]
The following information is gleaned from H Rohrer’s detailed website about Italian railways. That website can be found here. [35]
Coaches C20-C22 were built by Breda and supplied in 1926, of which C22 was renovated by FGC in 1960 and C21 was renovated by Gleismac in 1979-1980. An image of Coach 22 can be found here. [36]
Coaches C50-C53 were built by Breda and supplied in 1926. An image of Coach C50 can be found here. [37] An image of refurbished Coach C53 can be seen here. [38]
Coaches C101-C102 were long-wheelbase bogie coaches, built by Carminati Toselli and supplied in 1929. These were later renovated by Gleismac between 1980 and 1983. An image of Coach 101 in original condition can be found here. [39] The renovated Coach 101 can be seen here. [40]
Coaches C103-C106 were short-wheelbase bogie coaches built by Conti (?) and supplied in 1929 (?). Of these C105 and C106 were later renovated by Gleismac between 1980 and 1983. The original Coach 104 can be seen here. [41] A refurbished Coach C106 can be seen here. [42]
Coaches C60-C62 were built by Citadella Firema and supplied in 1996/1997. An example can be seen here. [43]
The Genova–Casella railway is a 24.3 km narrow gauge railway that connects Genoa to Casella, a village in the mountains inland from the city. [1] The stations on the line are shown in the graphic immediately below:
The Route of the Line. [1]
This article covers the history of the line and a journey along the southern half of the railway (Genoa to Sardorella). The second article covers the northern half of the railway and its rolling stock. That second article can be found here. [16]
When it is operating, “the line operates nine trains per day and it is used for both commuting and tourist purposes; it crosses three valleys and was opened in 1929. While it is owned by Liguria Region, it has been operated since 2010 by AMT Genova.” [1]
“At the end of the nineteenth century, a direct railway link between Genoa and Emilia Romagna was proposed, as an alternative to the Turin–Genoa railway. The railway had to start from the Port of Genoa and cross the Ligurian mountains to reach Piacenza railway station and Borgotaro. It was intended to be a fast, long-distance line primarily for goods.” [1]
“As a result, SAFEL (Società Anonima Ferrovie Elettrici Liguri) considered the construction of a local passenger line, complementary to the Genoa-Piacenza freight line. Its purpose was to connect the city centre to all the small municipalities and holiday resorts of the Ligurian hinterland … The first section of this network was the Genoa-Casella line.” [1]
“The original project was planned with a bifurcation to provide a branch towards Busalla and a line to Torriglia, which in a second phase would be extended to Piacenza.” [1]
These were just the first proposals from SAFEL. It considered a wide range of other schemes intended to follow on from their successful completion. A start was made when, in 1908, “SAFEL applied to the Ministry for a concession for the construction of the Genoa-Casella line. This concession was obtained on 17th June 1915. Like most of the local railways of the time, the line was almost entirely single-track and had a tortuous alignment (in order to follow the topography of the Ligurian mountains). Electrification was part of the original plans and the 950 mm track gauge was chosen to minimise infrastructure costs in accord with a directive from the Council of Public Works which recommended the adoption of an ‘Italian metric gauge’ (950 mm) for railways unlike the true metric gauge (1000 mm) adopted for tramways.” [1]
“To allow the construction of a connection at Manin with the Genoa tram network , the operating company presented a variation to the project, approved by the Higher Council of Public Works, which sanctioned the adoption of the 1000 mm gauge. This connection, however, although reported in the first design tables, was never built.” [12 – translated from Italian]
“The coming of the First World War imposed a long postponement to the construction of the railway line. It was not until 28th February 1921 that the final agreement between the Government and SAFEL was signed, which gave the permitted a start to construction work.” [1 – translated/adapted from Itailan] “On 26th June 1921 the first stone was laid. The construction of tunnels, bridges, and station buildings was entrusted to the ‘Consorzio Cooperative Liguri di Produzione e Lavoro tra Combattenti’, which gave work to thousands of former soldiers and workers who remained unemployed after the first world war. The construction was entirely financed with private funds.” [1]
“On 26th June 1921 the first stone was laid. The construction of tunnels, bridges, and station buildings was entrusted to the ‘Consorzio Cooperative Liguri di Produzione e Lavoro tra Combattenti’, which gave work to thousands of former soldiers and workers who remained unemployed after the first world war. The construction was entirely financed with private funds.” [1]
Construction work proved to be complex. The section from Genoa to Trensasco required steep gradients. To facilitate construction, “a 1.2 km-long cable car was installed in order to transport building materials from the Bisagno River valley. The cable car system lifted materials over a height of 450 m. Electric excavators and crushers (modern machinery at the time) were also adopted to produce the necessary sand and cement on site.” [1]
“In 1924 the S.E.N. (Società Elettrica Nazionale), a subsidiary of the Ernesto Breda industries, was awarded a contract for the laying of track, the construction of the overhead line, the construction of electrical substations, and for the supply of rolling stock.” [1]
“Meanwhile, resources were expended on pursuing a succession of extension projects, some of which were very unlikely. This resulted in ongoing financial instability and a slowing of the construction work already on site.” [1]
“The first tracks were laid in 1926 starting from Vicomorasso, with the help of a Mallet-type steam locomotive purchased by the Ferrovie dell’Appenno Centrale, but operations were interrupted due to lack of funds.” [1]
“Work resumed in 1927 thanks to a grant from the Municipality of Genoa and the National Bank. The Breda company was asked to complete the remaining civil engineering work in addition to the electrification of the line and the laying of the track (the bridge between the two Fontanassa tunnels, the Cicala and Puin viaducts).” [1]
“On 7th June 1928, the steam locomotive used in the construction of the line made an inspection trip to Casella pulling a passenger car with the Podestà of Genoa, Sant’Olcese, Serra Riccò and Casella on board. It was welcomed by the citizens in celebration along the way. Only on 2nd October 1928 was the first electric train – reserved for two hundred members of the Italian Electrotechnical Association which in those days held its annual congress in Genoa – able to travel the entire line.” [1]
“On 1st September 1929 the official inauguration took place. … Due to the lack of external funding, the ambitious projects planned for a Ligurian railway network were never fulfilled – Casella became the terminus.”[1][2]
The electric supply was originally 2400V DC. “The first electric locomotives were supplied by Breda, numbered 1 to 3. They were 360 horsepower Bo-Bo locomotives with an innovative Breda-Somarini energy recovery system, unique in Italy. In addition to the motive power, 4 third-class carriages (Nos. 50-53); 3 mixed first-third class carriages (Nos. 20-22) and 16 freight wagons of various types were delivered in 1926, well before the railway opened.” [1]
In 1930, “the Vittorio Veneto bridge over the River Scrivia [was constructed], but the railway was not immediately extended along the route.” [1][3]
“In 1933, even though the railway was operating at full capacity with a high numbers of passengers and freight, SAFEL was on the verge of bankruptcy. … The company had invested heavily in the extension projects without [paying] off outstanding debts with Breda and banca Nazionale del Lavoro, which had financed much of the construction of the line. … In 1934 SAFEL was declared bankrupt after a court trial, and the management of the railway was acquired by the Lazzi bus companies.” [1]
“On 23rd August 1937, two of the locomotives were destroyed in an accident near Vicomorasso. … Three [replacement A1-1A locos] were purchased, … built by MAN in 1913 for the Montebelluna – Asolo and Montebelluna – Valdobbiadene tramways [which] closed in 1931. … The machines entered service in 1939, … after conversion of the original power supply system from 975 V DC to 2400 V DC.” [1]
“During the Second World War the railway experienced its period of maximum use, since numerous families were evacuated to the area to the North of Genoa and the train operated both for passengers and for freight. … At the end of the conflict, both the infrastructure and the rolling stock were seriously damaged by intensive use and poor maintenance, so much so that use of the line was suspended and in 1949 it was placed under Government Commissioner Management.” [4: p16 – translated/adapted from Itailan]
“In 1953 the line was extended from the Casella depot to the town. … Since 1975, the railway has undergone complete … renovation, with the replacement of the rails, the electrical substation and the functional restructuring of the depots.” [4: p16 – translated/adapted from Itailan]
In 1956, a locomotive (No. 28) with a power of 355 kW with a maximum speed of 50 km/h was acquired from the Sangritana Railway; in 1960 another unit (No. 29) and spare parts were acquired. “The locomotives were part of a contract of fourteen four-axle locomotives built in 1924 with electrical equipment and bogies supplied by TIBB and case made by Carminati & Toselli. Originally narrow-gauge at 950 mm, they were converted to [metre-gauge].” [1]
“The ‘Casella train’ remains one of the few secondary Italian railways still in use because not only does it serve a route for which there is no alternative road network, but it also is a tourist attraction (the route intersects numerous hiking trails, including those to the Forts of Genoa and a stretch of the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri) and has low operating costs.” [4: p16 – translated/adapted from Itailan]
In the four-year period 1997-2000, the line was entrusted to the Italian State Railways to achieve a technical-economic recovery, and from 1 January 2001 it became the property of the Liguria Region.][4: p16 – translated/adapted from Itailan]
“Starting from the terminus at Manin, the route winds its way out of the city: running along a stretch of the Val Bisagno, it serves the localities of S. Pantaleo, Cappuccio, Campi, Pino Soprano, Torrazza, before passing through the Trensasco tunnel into Val Polcevera and reaching the terminus at Casella, in Valle Scrivia.” [4: p16 – translated/adapted from Itailan]
The Route
The terminus in Genoa is the Genova Manin railway station, located above the Piazza Manin and can be reached via a flight of steps or by bus No. 64.
In subsequent satellite images, red dots will only be used where the route of the railway is less clear than it might be. The next 5 satellite images take us as far as the Ex-Chiesa San Pantaleo where the Via San Pantaleo passes under the railway.
Close to Ex-Chiesa di San Pantaleo the Via San Pantaleo passes under the railway. Google Maps, November 2024]The stone-arched underpass which takes Via San Pantaleo under the railway, Luca Spinelli (2018). [Google Maps, November 2024]
The next sequence of 7 satellite images takes us to the San Antonino Halt.
‘Telfer’ or ‘Telfere elettrico’, was a monorail railway line built in Genoa in 1914, the first of its kind built in Italy. The name was derived from the English term ‘telpher’. [1]
In this case, the ‘Telfer’ was a monorail. Examples of telphers in the UK include one at Manchester Victoria Railway Station which is described here. [6]
The term has more normally been used for the moving element of a beam crane used in warehouses or other industrial settings. [6]
Given the Telfer’s link to the English word ‘Telpher’ then strictly speaking ‘Telfer’ should be assumed to apply to the moving element of this short term transport solution in Genoa which could itself, perhaps, be considered to be a monorail.
The Telfer was installed for the Italian Colonial International Exhibition of Marine and Marine Hygiene which opened in May 1914 and closed in November of the same year. [7]
In an historical period when European powers were involved in colonial expansion. The stated aim of the Exhibition was to show the developments in the sectors of hygiene and maritime trade, but ultimately it was an opportunity for Italy to celebrate its colonial conquests! [7]
The Telfer connected Piazza di Francia (the south-eastern part of the current Piazza della Vittoria) to the Giano pier of the port, near the new Harbour Master’s Office. It was managed by UITE (Società Unione Italiana Tramways Elettrici).
The Telfer was originally intended for Milan, to connect Milan with the residential area of Milanino, approximately 8 km from the city. That project never came to fruition.
Instead, a shorter version was built in just 100 days for the Exhibition in Genoa. The Telfer entered service on 18th June 1914 and served throughout the time of the exhibition. It was later modified for the transport of goods, in particular coal, from the port to the factories located along the Bisagno. It continued to function throughout the period of the First World War but was dismantled in 1918.
Italian patents for the system were held by BBB (the Badoni Bellani Benazzoli Company of Milan). [4]
The Italian Wikipedia tells us that “the line was traversed by a single, symmetrical train, which ran on its own track formed by a beam raised from the ground, with a running rail at the top and two lateral ones for support and guidance. For the support piers, reinforced concrete was used. … The monorail beams were of an inverted T section, 85 cm wide at the base and 190 cm in height, over which Vignoles 36 kg/m rail was fixed on oak stringers. … Along the lower edges of the inverted T beams, two guides for the horizontal wheels were provided, made from L-shaped bars. … The items of rolling-stock sat astride the beam and were supported by hooded double-edged central wheels. They had lateral appendages extended downwards for the guide rollers.” [1]
“Seats were arranged in four longitudinal rows, two on each side, stacked in steps, with the backrests on the inside. Each ‘carriage’ had 38 seats and 12 standing places, or with the seats folded down a standing capacity of 80 passengers could be achieved. There were three access doors on each side. … The ‘locomotive’ had four 700 mm wheels, all powered, each connected to an AEG Thomson-Houston 40 hp 500 V engine regulated by controller as used for electric trams. The brake was compressed air with a double shoe for each wheel.” [1]
“As the driver’s position in the train was at the centre of the convoy (the locomotive was at the centre of the train), automatic safety devices were placed to stop the train at the station. The entire convoy when fully loaded carried about 350 people and weighed 80 tons. All the rolling stock was built by Carminati & Toselli of Milan.” [1]
The Route of the Telfer Monorail
A map from around 1914 (shown in full above) shows the route of the line. Segments of the line follow together with appropriate supporting images.
The Telfer’s Northeast terminus was in the southern corner of Piazza d’Armi above the River (Torrent) Bisagno, close to the Bezzecca Bridge which at the time was the first structure spanning the river North of its outfall into the Mediterranean. Piazza d’Armi became Piazza di Francia and later Piazza Della Vittoria.
Piazza Della Vittoria with its triumphal arch is at the top of this extract from Google’s satellite imagery. [Google Maps, November 2024]
The route crossed the Corso Aurelio Saffi by means of a 26 metre span skew bowstring concrete arch bridge and ran straight down the West side of the river channel on the road known as Via del Feritore at that time. The line hugged the base of the high retaining wall and, in doing so, curved round to the West.
The Telfer passed through the Stella Batterie by means of widened windows. [1][3: p103]
The line then ran straight to the landward end of Pier Giano, cutting across the stretch of water in front of the Cava baths like a viaduct. A curve as tight as 50 metre radius took the Telpher onto the pier and the line continued for some 370 metres. [1]
The entire route was just over 2.2 km in length, with an average height above ground of 4 m. Except for the short stretch on the Giano pier, which was made of wood, the route was fabricated in reinforced concrete and was supported on a total of 72 piers. A third of the piers sat directly in the sea. [1]
The route was travelled at a speed of 20-30 km/h and was completed in about seven minutes. [3] The train ran every half hour from 9:00 to 24:00, A single ticket cost 1.00 lire (about 3.70 euros today), a return ticket 1.50 lire (about 5.50 euros today), there were concessions for shareholders, military personnel, children and groups. [1][3: p99]
http://www.uwrbancenter.comune.genova.it/sites/default/files/quaderno_arch_2011_03_21.pdf, accessed on 16th November 2024, p17. …..”The first monorail in Europe: On 14th June 1914, the first monorail built in Europe was inaugurated in Genoa. It was built for the International Exhibition that occupied the area of the current Piazza della Vittoria and Via Diaze hosted numerous exhibitions set up inside pavilions designed largely by the architect Coppedè. The “Telfer elettrico” (or “suspended or aerial railway”) connected the “aerial” station, located inside the Exhibition, to the port, at Molo Giano, where the exhibition pavilion of the Consorzio Autonomo del Porto was located. The Telfer was 2227 m long and followed, approximately, the route of the current Viale Brigate Partigiane and part of the current Aldo Moro flyover: to cross the final part of Corso Aurelio Saffi a parabolic bridge with a span of 28 m was built, a true “work of art”. The Telfer consisted of a monorail suspended on wooden or concrete beams resting on triangular-shaped supports and an electric traction train that moved in both directions, placed astride the beam and composed of a central locomotive that drove two or four carriages. The carriages had a capacity of 46 seats or, alternatively, 80 standing places. The Telfer reached a maximum speed of between 20 and 30 km/h and took eight minutes to complete the entire journey. It was built in one hundred and fifty days of actual work and had seen the employment of more than six hundred workers. It could have been used, after the closing of the exhibition, for the transport of people or goods, but unfortunately the war events imposed the dismantling of the monorail and the partial reuse of the materials.”
Bibliography
Enrico Pieri, Il “Telfer” di Genova, in Strade Ferrate , n. 16, ottobre 1983, pp. 22-27.
Marco Marchisio, Il Telfer di Genova, in Tutto treno & storia, n. 14, novembre 2005, pp. 30-43.
Lorenzo Bortolin, TELFER, la monorotaia di Genova, in I Treni Oggi, n. 16, gennaio 1982, pp. 20–21.
Cornolò Ogliari, Si viaggia anche … così, Milano, Arcipelago edizioni, 2002, ISBN88-7695-228-4.
Stefano Percivale (da un progetto di), Genova com’era Genova com’è, Genova, Fratelli Frilli Editori, 2008.
Franco Rebagliati, Franco Dell’Amico, Giovanni Gallotti e Magno Di Murro, Il Telfer, in In tram da Savona a Vado 1912-1948, L. Editrice, 2012, pp. 68–71, ISBN 978-88-95955-73-5.
Massimo Minella, Il Telfer, una monorotaia sull’acqua, in 1914 – L’Esposizione Internazionale di Genova, De Ferrari, Genova, 2014, pp. 99–111. ISBN 978-88-6405-564-0.
Roger Farnworth 
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