Rome–Lido railway
| Roma–Lido | |||
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MA300 train at Roma Porta San Paolo
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| Overview | |||
| Type | Rapid transit / Commuter rail | ||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Locale | Rome, Italy | ||
| Termini |
Roma Porta San Paolo Cristoforo Colombo |
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| Stations | 13 | ||
| Daily ridership | 90,000 | ||
| Website | ATAC (Italian) | ||
| Operation | |||
| Operator(s) | ATAC | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 28 km (17 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC | ||
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The Roma–Lido railway is an urban railway line connecting the Porta San Paolo Station in Rome to Lido di Ostia, Rome's seaside neighborhood.
The railway is 28.3 kilometers long, stops at 13 stations and carries on average over 90,000 passengers each day.
The service begins daily at 5:08 and ends at 23:30, providing up to eight runs per hour during peak time. The Rome-Lido train-line would be considered a subway line to all intents and purposes if only for the lower frequency of the service. In fact the trains usually arrive about every 15 minutes on weekdays, a time frame that over exceeds the minimum standards required for a proper subway. During the summer, though, trains run more frequently due to increased usage of the line, mostly tourists visiting the beach.
During the night the line is replaced by n3 bus which runs from Piazza Venezia (instead of Pyramid / Porta S. Paolo) to Christopher Columbus.
The average travel time of the whole line is 37 minutes.
The line comprises 14 stations:
In Rome, the line uses double tracks, separated from any other rail services.
Roma Lido transfers with Line B of the Rome Metro at Piramide, Basilica San Paulo and EUR Magliana. Outside the Greater Rome Area, it stops in the neighbourhoods of Tor di Valle, Vitinia, Casal Bernocchi, Centro Giano, Acilia and Ostia Antica. Then, it proceeds to Ostia itself, where it stops at five stations. It terminates at Cristoforo Colombo.
A link between Rome and Ostia was necessary since the end of the nineteenth century, when the population of the coastal area began to rise dramatically.
The first project for a railway that connected Rome to its sea was proposed by Engineer Felipe Costa in 1868 and was accepted by the Papal State, which at the time ruled the whole area. For the financing of the project, 9 million pounds, at the time, had been raised by Roman nobles who had the intention of creating a private group. In 1870, with the fall of the Papal States, the project was abandoned.
Later, a tram line that would connect the small city was discussed, but it was determined that it would be of no use.
Between 1900 and the outbreak of the First World War there were many projects and the establishments of various companies. In 1906, the City Council had appointed a commission to study the problem of the connection between the city and the sea, who designed a magnificent 80 meter wide avenue well. The following year the Chamber of Commerce approved a budget of 15,000 pounds for the costs of the projects and advocated the opening of a railway line on the fiftieth anniversary of the unity of Italy that would have been celebrated in 1911.
In 1909 there was a false start after an agreement with the City of Rome, a Belgian company, the S. & C. Baschwitz.
In 1913 at a public meeting it was stated that the railroad was "the desire of all citizens".
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