Thursday 4 October will see the “Bastioni” and “Sommergibile” railway lines reopening
27/09/2018
GENOA. Thursday 4 October will see the “Bastioni” and “Sommergibile” railway lines reopening. In total there will be four platforms set aside for handling goods from Genoa port towards the north, and for passengers towards Acqui/Ovada and Busalla /Arquata Scrivia via Sampierdarena/Rivarolo. As a result, the railway services operating prior to the collapse of the Morandi bridge will resume, with several changes to the timetables which will be defined in the next few days with state railway body RFI, given that the "Succursale" line still remains closed (having been affected by debris from the collapse). In the space of 19 days, thanks to the work of 60 employees in shifts, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the railway link to ensure goods heading out of the port and towards the North are set on the road has been completed. To ensure the utmost safety, RFI has also set up a barrier 70 metres long and 8 metres high, as requested by the commission of experts working alongside the emergency commissioner. Sensors placed on the stumps of the bridge will also be connected to the RFI operations centre, so that trains can be halted if the sensors should give any warning signals. The announcement was made by the Liguria Region and Genova city council this morning.
“It is an outstanding result,” Governor Toti highlighted. “It is the result of the team effort involving the local authorities, the Liguria Region and Genoa city council and the FS Italian railway group which manages the links, and has been tackling the task of rendering the port fully operative again. It proves that the emergency response procedure is continuing to work well within the city and throughout the region as a whole.”
“It is another result that demonstrates the exceptional effort being made to minimise problems linked to the emergency we are dealing with,” said Genoa’s Mayor Marco Bucci. “People living in Valpolcevera will be able to get to Sampierdarena and other areas of the city via railway as well now. At the same time, the reopening of this section is crucial for ensuring our port is fully operative. Following the inauguration of Via della Superba, this will be decisive for relieving some of the inconvenience being experienced by the people of Genoa since 14 August. Our thanks go to all those who have been working tirelessly over the last few weeks.”
Regional transportation councillor Gianni Berrino stated that “the lines for Acqui/Ovada and Busalla via Sampierdarena will finally be operational again. Once they open, there will be as many railway services as there were prior to the emergency. This will allow us to meet the mobility needs of users and students trying to get to the schools in Sampierdarena from Valpolcevera and Valle Stura, who will no longer have to go to Principe. I wish to thank everyone at RFI,” Berrino added, “for the professionalism and quick turnaround, given the speed with which the service has been restored. It is an Italian miracle which has taken just 19 days. RFI will shortly be forwarding the timetables of the two lines to the Regional authorities.”