Menaggio–Porlezza railway
| Menaggio–Porlezza railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Status | Closed and removed | ||
| Locale | Province of Como, Lombardy, Italy | ||
| Termini |
Menaggio Porlezza |
||
| Stations | 7 | ||
| Services | 1 | ||
| Operation | |||
| Opened | 1873 | ||
| Closed | 1939 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 12 km (7.5 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 850 mm (2 ft 9 15⁄32 in) | ||
|
|||
The Menaggio–Porlezza railway (Italian: Ferrovia Menaggio-Porlezza) was a railway in the Italian province of Como. The line connected the town of Menaggio, on Lake Como, with Porlezza, on Lake Lugano, and was built as part of a multi-modal transport link between Menaggio and Luino, on Lake Maggiore.
Previous plans to link Menaggio and Luino envisaged an international railway via the Swiss city of Lugano, running for much of its length alongside Lake Lugano. However difficulties in financing the proposal, and the substantial engineering works that would be required alongside the lake, led to a revised plan which was eventually implemented. This involved the construction of two unconnected railways, both entirely located within Italy. The Menaggio–Porlezza railway and the Ponte Tresa–Luino railway were linked by the use of steamboats, between Porlezza and Ponte Tresa on Lake Lugano, to form the desired through route.
The Società di Navigazione e Ferrovie per lago di Lugano (SNF) was formed in 1873 to construct and operate this transport link. Although both ends of this link were in Italy, the company was created with Swiss finance, and headquartered in Lugano. The line was constructed to a gauge of 850 millimetres (2.79 ft), and was operated with steam locomotives.
The outbreak of World War I lead to a considerable loss of traffic and consequent financial problems, and the SNF decided to sell its railways and concentrate on operating its steamboat services on Lake Lugano. Both lines were sold to the Società Varesina per le Imprese Elettriche (SVIE) in 1919. After the sale, the SNF changed its name to the Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano (SNL). The SNL still exists, operating shipping and bus services on and around Lake Lugano.
...
Wikipedia