The Trento–Malè–Mezzana railway ( it, Ferrovia Trento-Malè-Mezzana (FTM)) is a
metre gauge
Metre-gauge railways are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre.
The metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by European colonial powers, such as the French, British and German Empires. In Europe, ...
electric railway
A railway electrification system supplies electric power to Rail transport, railway trains and trams without an on-board Prime mover (locomotive), prime mover or local fuel supply.
Electric railways use either electric locomotives (hauling pa ...
originally connecting
Trento
Trento ( or ; Ladin and lmo, Trent; german: Trient ; cim, Tria; , ), also anglicized as Trent, is a city on the Adige River in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th centu ...
and
Malè in
Trentino
Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous region ...
, northern Italy. In 2002 it was extended to the
Marilleva ski resort in the Italian Alps and in 2016 to
Mezzana. The line has now a total length of . FTM transports 2 million passengers per year along its line, including tourists.
History
In 1891 a proposal for a new railway in Trentino (then part of the
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central- Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...
was issued by
Paolo Oss Mazzurana
Paolo Oss Mazzurana (1833–1895) was an Austrian-Hungarian statesman, and most importantly the most famous mayor of his native city, Trento. His tenure was characterized by progressive economic policies that impacted Trento's commercial sector an ...
, mayor of Trento. Construction began in 1907 and the railway was inaugurated in 1909 as a
narrow-gauge
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ...
way, electrified at 800 V DC (converted to 3,000 V DC in 1964).
After the end of World War I, the Trentino was given to Italy, the railway was acquired by the
Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane S.p.A. ( "Italian Railways of the State"; previously only Ferrovie dello Stato, hence the abbreviation FS) is Italy's national state-owned railway holding company that manages transport, infrastructure, real estat ...
, and then established as an independent company in 1936. The line was almost totally rebuilt, shortened by but assuming the character of a true railway without road-embedded sections. In 1945 it passed under a new public company, ''Società Locale Trento Malè'', who controlled it until 2002, when it became part of Trentino trasporti.
Gallery
Image:Ferrovia Trento Malè (Restelli).JPG, Inauguration of the electric railway in Nave San Felice, Lavis (TN), 1909. Portrait by Renato Restelli.
Image:Lavis, stazione tram nel 1915.jpg, Lavis
Lavis (''Lavìs'' in local dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about north of Trento. As of 31 December 2006, it had a population of 9.000 and an area of .All d ...
tramway station in 1915
Image:Cles, stazione tranviaria nel 1955.jpg, Cles tramway station in 1955
Image:FTM Tw 18.JPG, An old FiReMa E86 and a new ETi 404 at Trento railway station
Trento railway station ( it, Stazione Ferroviaria di Trento, german: Bahnhof Trient) is the main station of Trento, capital of the autonomous province of Trentino, in northeastern Italy.
The station was opened in 1859 by the Austrian Empire's S ...
Image:Mostizzolo ponte ETi 404 20110709.jpg, A train on Mostizzolo railway bridge
Image:Marilleva - stazione ferroviaria.jpg, A train entering Marilleva railway station
External links
Homepage of Trentino TrasportiFTM at Tyrolian Museum Trains
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trento-Male-Mezzana railway
Mountain railways
Railway companies of Italy
Railway lines in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Transport in Trentino
Metre gauge railways in Italy