The new Metrotramvia Sud is probably be opened on December 7th, while Metrotramvia Nord will follow in 2004. When both lines will be in service, the tramway network will be revolutionized. The changes, recently approved by the Town Council, will interest eight existing routes and will bring to the creation of two new services:
The central termini of routes 15, 15/, 23 and 24 in piazza Fontana or in via Dogana aren't very secure and could be easily changed.
In the future route 7 could be diverted from viale Testi to a new reversing loop that will be built in front of Bovisa FNM railway station, passing by viale Ca' Granda – Metrotramvia Nord – piazza Maciachini – piazzale Bausan.
Lastest news about this topic in the page News December 2003.
After more than 30 years of absence, trolleybuses are coming back in Roma: on September 1st preparatory works are started on the way of bus route 90 Express that will become the first line of the new system. The first trolleybus network started to run on January 8th 1937, while the last route was converted to bus service on July 2nd 1972. In mid '50s it was the largest Italian trolleybus system with 137 km of routes and more than 400 vehicles.
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The exavation that will house the feeder for the overhead. On the right, articulated bus 311 in service on 90 Express service, the future first trolleybus route. Photo © Daniel Alceo Vignola. |
Trolleybuses will be 30 three-axle articulated cars now under construction with mechanics built by Solaris and Neoplan, while electric equipment comes from Ganz. An unit was seen during a test run in Budapest. These units will be able to run long distances off vires, as in the city centre the overhead will be not laid.
© 2003 Ivan Furlanis
Last changes: October 2003