Italian Railway Heritage— the Tuscan Nature Train Stefano Maggi
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Feature Heritage Railways (part 2) Italian Railway Heritage— The Tuscan Nature Train Stefano Maggi In Italy, preservation of railway heritage is Finally, in 1885, the government entrusted railwaymen in 1905 and the more a very recent development because only operations to three big companies while conservative classes were afraid of their Roman and medieval remains were retaining ownership of lines, permanent rebellious attitude. Strikes became a considered ‘history.’ This article describes installations, while the rolling stock was ‘normal’ feature of Italian railways in the Ferrovia Val’d Orcia (Val d’Orcia sold to the companies. following years, paralyzing the nation’s Railway) in Tuscany as a case study of the The Italian peninsula was divided life more and more. problems facing Italian tourist railways and longitudinally to encourage north– The railways remained under direct vintage trains. The Val d’Orcia Railway south traffic and overcome the State management until 18 April 1985 where old diesel railcars run and steam considerable differences between these when privatization started with the engines haul vintage carriages through two regions of Italy. The eastern establishment of the autonomous Ente beautiful scenery is one of the few examples network was entrusted to the Società Ferrovie dello Stato (Italian State of preserved railways in Italy. Adriatica, which managed 4300 km of Railways), 80 years after the 1905 lines, while the western network was nationalization. The goals of the new Summary of Italian Railways entrusted to the Società per le Strade autonomous railway company were until Today Ferrate del Mediterraneo, which economy and efficiency and the managed 4100 km of lines. The third Minister of Transport and Navigation, A national Italian railway network was only company, Sicula, managed 1100 km of Claudio Signorile, only retained formed in the 1860s due to the late national lines in the Italian islands. Each supervisory powers3. unification in 1861, and delayed economic company was granted a 60-year The establishment of Italian State Railways development. However, some of the more operations lease, subdivided into three was the first big reform in the Italian developed regions like Piedmont, periods of 20 years each1. administration and the reform started a Lombardy and Tuscany already had small This system collapsed within a few years series of changes that led to the networks totalling about 2200 km. After too and after repeated financial bailouts, privatization of other government sectors. the Italian State was established, the new the State nationalized the entire network The financial crisis in late 1991 forced the government viewed railways as essential of 13,000 km in April 1905—relatively government to adopt decisive measures to links in connecting the different economies early compared to railway privatize big public enterprises and Italian and societies of the new nation. nationalizations in other European State Railways was transformed in 1992 Before 1865, different sections of railways countries2. Initially, an autonomous State into Italian Railways (FS), a company with were managed differently due to different railway administration called Ferrovie the entire capital held by the State. In the pre-unification histories. The State dello Stato with a board of directors that past few months, FS has been split into four railways, especially those in Piedmont, had the freedom to take managerial divisions: passengers, freight, regional existed together with lines owned by decisions was established, but it soon transport and infrastructure. private companies and each received very came under tight political control. different concessions. Sometimes the Railways have been very important in Railway Heritage and Historical infrastructure belonged to the State while Italian history for political, economic and Trains in Italy the operations were entrusted to private social reasons; railway works consumed societies, which received a public grant the largest part of the public purse and In Italy, development of tourist historical for each kilometer of line managed or led to the creation of fundamental political trains was independent of the then little- sometimes a guaranteed revenue for their alliances, while railway workers formed known railway preservation movement shares. the largest labour bloc nationwide. that started in the UK in 1951. In 1865, the government decided that When Italian industry began to boom Development of Italian tourist trains railway construction and operation should around the turn of the century, railway started in the 1980s and 1990s when be entrusted to five private companies. workers formed the core of a growing left- groups of steam enthusiasts would charter However, the system almost immediately wing socialist movement. Railwaymen steam trains for special outings to the collapsed and the State had to spend huge seemed to embody the social countryside on secondary lines or on the sums of money in ‘ransom’ and to balance modernization following in the wake of national network. company budgets. This bad experience new lines linking isolated rural towns and Due to this tourism origin and lack of resulted in a long public debate about a regions with national life in the cities. knowledge about the preservation new system of organizing railways. The first national strike in Italy was by movement, many historical trains went to 18 Japan Railway & Transport Review 31 • June 2002 Copyright © 2002 EJRCF. All rights reserved. the breaker’s yard, especially in the mid- near the Swiss border, the Turin Local The Val d’Orcia Railway: 1990s when the cancer-inducing Railways (SATTI), the Genoa–Casella A Century of History properties of asbestos—which was used Railway (FGC), Padane Railways (FP) near extensively in old trains—became known. Ferrara, Arezzo Railways (LFI), and The decision to build a railway line The problem was further exacerbated Calabria Railways (FC) on a narrow-gauge between Siena and Grosseto was made because many Italians only considered line in the Sila highlands, sometimes run in 1859 just before the unification of Italy Roman and medieval relics as historically historical trains. in 1861. At that time, Grosseto was a important and so there was no culture of FS run a few charter and special vintage village of some 4000 people that became industrial archaeology until recent years. trains on normal lines6 and they have just almost deserted in summer, when the Consequently, vintage trains were treated restored some steam engines, vintage public offices, etc., were transferred to as old scrap4. wagons, electric and diesel locomotives, the hills of Scansano to escape the Tourist railways typically belong to local and railcars for such purposes7. ravages of endemic malaria. There were railway companies. One principal Moreover, FS has been operating the 10-km no railway connections in the Maremma example is the Trenino Verde della Ferrovia del Basso Sebino (Basso Sebino region and the nearest lines stopped at Sardegna (Small Green Train of Sardinia) Railway) located near Milan8 since 1994, and Livorno and Siena. run by Ferrovie della Sardegna (Sardinian the 52-km Val d’Orcia Railway in Tuscany The route of the line was difficult and the Railways). It operates mostly during since 1995, in conjunction with two voluntary planners tried to avoid a line based only summer with normal rolling stock, but associations comprising the Ferrovie Turistiche on Maremma traffic which was an special charters with old carriages hauled Italiane (Italian Tourist Railways Association)9. unknown factor. As a result, the line was by a steam locomotive are run on lines The rest of this article describes the Treno routed to service the mountainous Amiata closed to normal traffic5. Natura (Nature Train) running on the Val area, a population centre in the Maremma Other local companies such as the d’Orcia Railway. region, and to run through the Asso and Domodossola–Locarno Railways (SSIF) Orcia valleys. Map of Circular Route of Val d’Orcia Railway Nature Train running past flowering trackside Opuntia cactus (Author) Copyright © 2002 EJRCF. All rights reserved. Japan Railway & Transport Review 31 • June 2002 19 Heritage Railways (part 2) The first section from Asciano to Torrenieri business was abandoned soon after it Tickets are sold on the trains by volunteer was opened in May 1865 and the next opened in September 1991. Then the most staff who explain the scenery to stretch as far as Monte Amiata Station was interesting section between Asciano and passengers through a speaker system; the opened in August 1871. The entire line Monte Antico was closed to ordinary rail volunteers also design advertising and entered full service on 27 May 1872 with service in September 1994. Protests caused publicity materials; staff a bookings and a grand official ceremony attended by the by the line closure motivated the Siena information bureau; organize village Minister of Public Works and the highest Provincial Council and FS to relaunch the festivals; and sell books, travel guides, municipal authorities10. Nature Train project as a charter managed postcards, etc. The railway played an important role in by a travel agency. The Nature Train covers more than 50% connecting the Maremma region with the However, the train operation was not a of its costs from the farebox, which is rest of Tuscany. It was also useful for financial success and in 1996, FS agreed better than the 35% average for branch freight transport. For example, cinnabar to hand over operations to the Val d’Orcia lines, and the Siena Provincial Council ore from the nearby mercury mines was Railway, a voluntary association of retired subsidizes the remaining 50%. Instead carried in special carts to Monte Amiata railway workers and other interested of just running some trains with no specific Station, where it was loaded on the trains. people who now run regular Nature Train connection to infrastructure, the project’s Restaurants inside almost every railway services on 15 to 20 holidays during May, philosophy is to invigorate a proper tourist station became social meeting places for June, September and October over the and preserved railway12.