Italy - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services
Introduction
This list is based on the timetable in force from 11 December 2022. Although the timetable is shown as valid until 10 June 2023, most long-distance services are shown as operating only until March. Such trains are not indicated by note 'D' (for a service only running on certain dates), because it is a reasonable expectation that their period of operation will be extended or a similar service is provided instead. It is assumed that the timetable will continue to be updated and reissued regularly, as has been the case since summer 2020. Users are recommended to check the Trenitalia website to ensure they are using the latest version of the timetable.
Table numbers quoted here are from In Treno Tutt'Italia, the official Trenitalia timetable. Standard abbreviations are explained in General Information.
Map references for each route entry are given in parentheses ( ). References prefixed "ERA-E" refer to the European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball. References prefixed "ERA-R" refer to the European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Italy) by M.G. Ball. References prefixed "S+W", or in italic, refer to Atlante ferroviaro d'Italia e Slovenia by Schweers + Wall.
Two useful symbols exist which show the booked route for trains not calling at a station: in the middle of the train column, a vertical bar "|" means that the train passes through the station without stopping, whereas a dot "." means that the train does not pass through that station but instead takes a different route.
Westbound and northbound trains normally have even train numbers. Eastbound and southbound trains normally have odd numbers. Trains may, therefore, have several numbers during the course of a journey. For example, the 07:13 Bergamo to Ventimiglia, which runs west to Milano, south to Genova and then west again, is successively IR1786, IR1787 and IR1788. In the tables below the train number used is that applicable at the last stop before the route concerned. Where two train numbers are shown, that is because they vary with the day of operation. Trains running on only a few days during the Christmas and New Year holiday period are not included in the lists; none use lines without any other passenger service.
When a train is being re-scheduled, to allow for engineering work or for other reasons, it is likely to be given an alternative train number, usually of five digits starting with 3. The last two digits are generally, but not always, the same as those of usual train number. For passenger reservation purposes the usual number may be used. Where a train is diverted via an obscure route that it does not normally use, the relevant 3xxxx train number is quoted in the lists. Many trains have alternative numbers because of diversions or retimings that do not affect use of obscure routes and in such cases only the usual number is quoted, in the interests of clarity and space.
Lines are listed in geographic order, from north to south, grouped by region. However, the Firenze - Roma direttissima (which passes through the regions of Toscana, Umbria and Lazio) is shown as a separate group. Special Notes and details of Linea Alta Velocità (High Speed Lines), Other Sparse Services, Bus services in substitute for trains, and Deletions since previous edition can be found at the end of this page.
List of Regions:-
| Lombardia | Includes Milano | Entries referenced from ITxx/01 |
| Trentino Alto Adige | Entries referenced from ITxx/21 | |
| Veneto | Includes Verona | Entries referenced from ITxx/31 |
| Friuli Venezia Giulia | Entries referenced from ITxx/41 | |
| Piemonte | Includes Torino | Entries referenced from ITxx/51 |
| Liguria | Includes Genova | Entries referenced from ITxx/61 |
| Emilia Romagna | Includes Bologna | Entries referenced from ITxx/71 |
| Toscana | Includes Firenze | Entries referenced from ITxx/91 |
| Marche | Entries referenced from ITxx/111 | |
| Firenze - Roma direttissima | Entries referenced from ITxx/121 | |
| Lazio | Includes Roma | Entries referenced from ITxx/141 |
| Campania | Includes Napoli | Entries referenced from ITxx/151 |
| Abruzzo and Molise | Entries referenced from ITxx/171 | |
| Puglia | Includes Foggia | Entries referenced from ITxx/181 |
| Calabria | Includes Cosenza | Entries referenced from ITxx/191 |
| Sicilia | Entries referenced from ITxx/201 | |
| Sardegna | Entries referenced from ITxx/211 |
The following regions currently have no Obscure Services: Basilicata and Valle d'Aosta.
Special Notes
The Trenitalia timetables suggest that on certain lines fast trains and stopping trains run via different routes, but in fact there is a quadruple line with station platforms on only one pair of tracks. Such lines include Prato Centrale to Firenze Rifredi and Padova to Venezia Mestre.
Linea Alta Velocità (High-Speed Lines)
The following high-speed lines, which are electrified at 25 KV 50 Hz rather than the standard Italian 3,000 Volts DC, are used by Alta Velocità trains. These are marketed as Frecciarossa, Frecciabianca and Frecciargento. High-speed services are also provided by open access operator Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, trading as Italo.
- Torino Stura – Milano (Rho Fiera)
- Treviglio (Bivio Casirate) - Brescia (Bivio Mella) (but note that the final connection may be further east than the present one)
- Milano (Bivio Melegnano) – Bologna – Firenze (Castello)
- Roma (Prenestina) – Napoli (Gianturco)
There are various intermediate connections between these lines and older routes, but many see limited or no use by passenger trains. Those with a passenger service are:
- Piacenza Ovest: See IT23/71
- Fidenza Ovest: See IT23/73
- Castelfranco Est: See IT23/76
- Anzola dell'Emilia: See IT23/77
- Anagni: See IT23/147
- Cassino Sud: See IT23/148
- Caserta Nord: See IT23/152.
Connections used while high-speed lines were under construction, but no longer with a passenger service are:
- Bivio Novara Ovest - Novara Boschetto
- Crossovers at Bologna S Viola
- Bologna S Ruffillo - Bivio Emilia
- Gricignano-Teverola - 1º Bivio Gricignano
There are also high-speed lines electrified at 3,000 Volts DC, which may be used by other trains:
- Milano Lambrate – Treviglio: See IT23/15
- Milano Rogoredo – Tavazzano (Bivio Melegnano): See IT23/16
- Padova – Venezia Mestre: This is effectively a quadrupling of the old main line.
- Roma – Firenze Direttissima: This is an older high-speed line. See separate details.
- Napoli – Salerno: See IT23/156
It appears to be practice for DC high-speed lines to be known as Direttissima and for AC lines to be known as Linea AV/AC.
Trams
See Italy - Tram services over obscure routes
Other sparse services
The train service may well be suspended on some local lines for varying periods during the summer holidays between late June and early September, especially in northern Italy and Campania. It may be advisable to check services locally.
The following lines not included in the regional pages have few trains (relative to service levels generally in Italy) - five trains or fewer each way on at least three days a week, or do not run each weekday. Lines with no Sunday trains are noted, but where there is a Sunday service it may be very limited on rural lines. Even on lines with more than five trains daily the service may be very irregular, with a few early morning journeys and then none until the afternoon.
| 10 | Bardonecchia – Modane (France) | TGV and Frecciarossa services only |
| 13 | Trieste Centrale - Sežana (Slovenia) | |
| 15 | Carnia - Tarvisio Boscoverde | Sparse weekday service; better at weekends |
| 91 | Metaponto - Sibari | |
| 109 | Ventimiglia - Breil sur Roya (France) | |
| 120 | Asti - Acqui Terme | No weekend service |
| 125 | Chivasso - Valenza | No Sunday service |
| 170 | Como Camerlata - Molteno | No Sunday service |
| 220 | Treviso Centrale - Portogruaro-Caorle | No Sunday service |
| 236 | Casarsa - Portogruaro-Caorle | No Sunday service |
| 250 | Fidenza – Fornovo | |
| 270 | Lavezzola – Granarolo Faentino [- Faenza] | Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service |
| 270 | Russi – Granarolo Faentino [- Faenza] | Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service |
| 273 | Firenze Campo di Marte - Firenze S Marco Vecchio | Peak service Mon-Sat; one train on summer Sundays |
| 280 | Firenze Porta al Prato - Le Piagge (Firenze Cascine) | Peak service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service |
| 302 | Viterbo Porta Fiorentina - Attigliano-Bomarzo | No Sunday service |
| 313 | Termoli - Campobasso | Additional services planned |
| 332 | Foggia - Manfredonia | Summer service only |
| 339 | Barletta - Spinazzola | Limited service Mon-Sat pm; no Sunday service |
| 346 | Taranto - Brindisi | No Sunday service, except for one overnight train each way |
| 360 | Sassari - Porto Torres Marittima | |
| 375 | Lentini Diramazione – Caltagirone | |
| 378 | Canicatti – Aragona Caldare | |
| 388 | Piraineto - Castelvetrano | |
| 392 | Canicatti - Gela | Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service |
| 392 | Gela - Donnafugata | No Sunday service |
| 435 | Parma - Suzzara (TPER) | No Sunday service |
| 436 | Reggio Emilia - Reggio Emilia S Lazzaro (TPER) | Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service |
| 438 | Reggio Emilia - Ciano d'Enza (TPER) | No Sunday service |
| 439 | Ferrara - Suzzara (TPER) | No Sunday service |
| 440 | Ferrara - Codigoro (TPER) | No Sunday service |
| 445 | Arezzo - Sinalunga (TFT) | No Sunday service |
| 446 | Arezzo - Pratavecchio Stia (TFT) | No Sunday service |
| 460 to 465 | Ferrovie del Sud Est: Entire network | No Sunday service |
| 466 | Bari - Gravina in Puglia and Matera Sud (Ferrovie Appulo Lucane) | No Sunday service |
| 468 | Cagnano Varano - Peschici Calenella (Ferrovie del Gargano) | |
| - | Sassi – Superga (Gruppo Torinese Trasporti) | No trains on Wednesdays |
| - | Gravina in Puglia – Genzano (Ferrovie Appulo Lucane) | Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service |
| - | Potenza - Avigliano Città (Ferrovie Appulo Lucane) | No Sunday service |
| - | Catania Borgo - Randazzo (Ferrovia Circumetnea) | No Sunday service |
| - | Paterno - Randazzo - Riposto (Ferrovia Circumetnea) | Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service |
| - | Sassari - Sorso (Ferrovie della Sardegna) | No Sunday service |
| - | Sassari - Alghero (Ferrovie della Sardegna) | No Sunday service during the winter |
| - | Macomer - Nuoro (Ferrovie della Sardegna) | No Sunday service |
| - | San Gottardo (Cagliari) - Mandas (Ferrovie della Sardegna) | No Sunday service |
| - | Mandas – Isili (Ferrovie della Sardegna) | Limited service Mon-Sat; no Sunday service |
Bus services in substitute for trains
Services over the following lines have been replaced by buses, mostly owing to infrastructure problems. It is definitely intended that some routes will re-open to rail traffic, but others are in doubt.
| 26 | Novi Ligure - Tortona | Service suspended to facilitate construction of a Milano - Genova high-speed line |
| 122 | Bra - Cavallermaggiore | Train service suspended because of Covid-19 |
| 134 | Sesto Calende - Laveno-Mombello | Long-term, possible permanent, withdrawal of passenger trains |
| 172 | Seregno - Carnate-Usmate | Trains replaced by buses, in order to provide a more reliable service on other lines |
| 226 | Montbelluna - Feltre | Closed for electrification work from 28 February 2022 |
| 233 | Gemona del Friuli - Maniago | Service suspended in 2012, because of a landslide. There continues to be pressure for passenger trains to resume, but no early prospect of this. |
| 258 | Pisa Centrale - Collesalvetti - Vada | See route IT22/99 for occasional diversions |
| 259 | Cecina - Volterra Saline-Pomerance | Bus service instigated summer 2020, apparently for upgrades to the line, but train services have not resumed. |
| 310 | Priverno Fossanova – Terracina | Train service suspended because of landslides. |
| 312 | Sulmona - Castel di Sangro | See route IT22/161 for details of special excursions |
| 313 (part) | Rocca Ravindola - Campobasso | Closed for electrification work; may re-open December 2021. In January 2023 trains had resumed between Rocca Ravindola and Isernia only. |
| 315 | [Campbasso -] Bosco Redole - Benevento | See route IT22/148 for details of special excursions. |
| 330 | Mercato S Severino - Avellino | Closed for electrification work. |
| 335 | Avellino - Lioni | See route IT22/149 for details of special excursions. |
| 337 | Rocchetta S Antonio Lacedonia - Gioia del Colle | Trains replaced by buses in 2011 on economic grounds, so unlikely to resume. |
| 375 (part) | Caltagirone – Gela | Service suspended following collapse of a viaduct in 2011. Plans announced in 2020 for reinstatement. |
| 409 (part) | Rovato FN - Bornato-Calino | Trains replaced by buses in 2018 on economic grounds, so unlikely to resume. See route IT22/18 for details of occasional excursions. |
| 414 | Rivarolo Canavese - Pont Canavese (GTT) | Bus service not shown in In Treno, but there are plans to electrify and reopen the line. |
| 447 | Città di Castello - Sansepolcro (Ferrovia Centrale Umbra) | The FCU lines are being modernised, but this is taking a long time and only the section between Perugia Ponte S Giovanni and Città di Castello has re-opened. |
| 448 | Perugia Ponte S Giovanni - Terni (Ferrovia Centrale Umbra) | |
| 449 | Perugia Ponte S Giovanni - Perugia S Anna (Ferrovia Centrale Umbra) | |
| 460a | Bari Mungivacca - Rutigliano - Putignano (Ferrovie del Sud Est) | Closed for modernisation |
| 463 | Lecce - Zollino (Ferrovie del Sud Est) | Closed for modernisation; scheduled to reopen 2 November 2021 |
| - | Licola - Torregáveta (EAV srl) | |
| 494 | Barletta Centrale - Corato (Ferrotramviaria) | Service suspended for resignalling following a serious collision. |
| - | Gravina in Puglia – Avigliano Lucania (Ferrovie Appulo Lucane) |
A number of other bus services appear in In Treno either in substitution for long-closed lines or FrecciaLink coaches to towns not on the high-speed network.
The following routes are shown on the Indice Grafico delle Relazioni (route diagram) in In Treno, but have no Trenitalia service at all, train or bus. In a few cases, which are noted, there is a train service not shown in In Treno.
| 60 & 70 | Ancona - Ancona Marittima | |
| 111 | Torino - Courmayeur | Former bus service |
| 125 | Vercelli - Casale Popolo | |
| 134 | Sesto Calende - Oleggio | |
| 157 | Piacenza - Castelvetro | |
| 286 | Fabriano - Pergola | |
| 325 | Sarno - Codola | The north to east side of the triangle at Codola is closed to all traffic. |
| 323 | Napoli - Sorrento | Former bus service. Circumvesuviana services not included in In Treno |
| 338 | Bari - Matera | Former bus service. Ferrovie Appulo-Lucane trains shown in table 466 |
| 347 | Lecce - Gallipoli - S Maria di Leuca | Former bus service. Ferrovie Sud Est trains shown in tables 462 and 464 |
| 349 | Lecce - Otranto | Former bus service. Ferrovie Sud Est trains shown in tables 463 and 465 |
| 388 | Alcamo Diramazione - Calatafimi - Trapani |
Services not shown in In Treno
Timetables for the following services can be found at the websites shown. Urban metro systems are not included in this list.
| L’Assunta/Maria Himmelfahrt – Collalbo/Klobenstein | SAD Trasporto Locale SpA (Table 160) |
| Trento - Mezzana | Trentino trasporti esercizio SpA |
| Sassi – Superga | Gruppo Torinese Trasporti |
| Circumvesuviana network | EAV srl Linee Vesuviane |
| Napoli Montesanto - Torregáveta and Licola | EAV srl Linee Flegree |
| Cancello - Benevento and S Maria Capua Vetere - Piedimonte Matese | EAV srl Linee Suburbane |
| Bari - Cecilia and Barletta via Bitonto | Ferrotramviaria |
| Potenza Centrale - Avigliano Citta | Ferrovie Appulo Lucane |
| Catanzaro Lido - Soveria Mannelli | Ferrovie della Calabria |
| Catania Borgo - Randazzo - Riposto | Circumetnea |
| Sassari - Alghero | Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna |
| Sassari - Sorso | Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna |
| Macomer - Nuoro | Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna |
| San Gottardo (Cagliari) – Isili | Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna |
In some cases it is only possible to use a search engine to look up trains available at a selected time. For some lines lists of train times are available on the E656 website. Look for 'Orario' in the menu bar.
Deletions since previous edition
None
