With 1.2 million inhabitants, Naples is Italy's third largest city and the centre, both touristic and industrial, of southern Italy. The Naples metropolitan area boasts a large variety of urban and suburban railways, all integrated into the Uniconapoli/Unicocampania fare system.

Naples' first metro line, the so called METROPOLITANA COLLINARE (hill subway), now Line 1, opened in 1993 between Colli Aminei and Vanvitelli, the line was extended to Piscinola / Secondigliano in 1995 reaching a length of 8 km (4 km underground between Vanvitelli and Colli Aminei).

As you can see on the map, from Vanvitelli the metro line runs in a steep (5.5 %) curved tunnel to reach the Salvator Rosa station via Cilea (Pza. Quattro Giornate). Stations between Garibaldi and Toledo will be on sea level. From Vanvitelli northwards, the line literally winds its way up the mountain to reach its highest point at Policlinico (268 m above sea level at station entrance) and then descend again (mainly on a viaduct) to the terminus at Piscinola / Scampia (126 m). The Vanvitelli - Museo (Cavour) section is in service since 5 April 2001. Dante station opened in March 2002, while Materdei station took until 5 July 2003 to be finished. Until 14 Dec 2002, Line 1 operated a 30 minute shuttle between Dante and Vanvitelli. Now the line is in regular service with trains every 6 minutes. Special emphasis was put on artistic design of the stations on the newest section.

Total length of the line in 2003 is 13.5 km.

METROPOLITANA FS, now Line 2, is an urban, mainly underground service offered by FS (Ferrovie dello Stato/Trenitalia - Italian National Railways) between Gianturco and Pozzuoli (14.5 km - opened in 1925). Metropolitan trains run aproximately every 8 minutes sharing tracks with regional trains.

Line 6 is a 1.8 km light metro line with four stations built by Ansaldo. It will be 5.5 km long when it reaches Municipio in 2012.

More details & photos

Ferrovia Circumvesuviana:

Line 3 and the future Line 4 are operated by Circumvesuviana and are the urban stretch of their suburban network. Both lines were upgraded with double track and initially offer a train every 20-30 minutes. Line 3 is 12 km long and has 11 stations, 8 of which are underground. The first stretch runs along the line to Baiano, after Botteghelle a 750 m link opened in 2004 towards Madonnelle on the San Giorgio - Casalnuovo line, in service since 2001. Line 3 and 4 cross at Vesuvio/De Meis.

Ferrovia Cumana:

Suburban service along the coast from Montesanto to Torregaveta, with trains every 10 minutes to Bagnoli, and every 20 minutes to Torregaveta. The urban section is to be upgraded as part of Line 7.

Ferrovia Circumflegrea:

Suburban service from Montesanto to Torregaveta, but further inland than the Cumana, with trains every 20 minutes. To be upgraded as Line 5 up to Pianura.

MetroCampania NordEst:

Suburban service on a new underground route opened in 2009 from Piscinola/Scampia to Aversa Centro, mostly along the old alignment of the Alifana railway; trains every 15 minutes. This line will share the line 1 route between Piscinola/Scampia and Garibaldi.

Line 1

1993 - Vanvitelli - Colli Aminei
1995 - Colli Aminei - Piscinola-Secondigliano (now P.-Scampia)
5 April 2001 - Vanvitelli - Museo (except Materdei station)
27 March 2002 - Museo - Dante
14 Dec 2002 - regular service Dante - Piscinola-Scampia
5 July 2003 - Materdei station added

Line 2

1925 - Railway tunnel now used by Line 2

Line 6

04 Feb 2007: Mostra - Mergellina

Line 3

12 Feb 2001 - San Giorgio - Madonnelle (- Casalnuovo)
29 May 2004 - Botteghelle - Madonnelle link

 Projects

Naples is currently carrying out the most important public transport project in Italy by expanding the network and upgrading existing suburban lines into metro lines. Phase 1 will create a metro network of 53 km with 68 stations (23 of which will be newly built). This first stage is scheduled to be concluded by 2002. Phase 2 includes a total of 9 lines and should be finished by 2011:

Line 1 (Metro) will become a ring line via the airport and central station.
Line 2 (FS) will be extended east to San Giovanni
Line 4 (Circumvesuviana) will run from its Naples terminus to Vesuvio and further east (conversion of existing line)
Line 5 (Circumflegrea) from Montesanto to Pisani, incl. new interchange with Line 1 at Cilea via elevators.
Line 6 is extended from Mergellina to Municipio and will be 5.5 km in 2012.
Line 7 (Circumflegrea/Cumana) will be a kind of ring line using partly existing lines, which are being put underground: Montesanto - Soccavo - Zoo-Edenlandia - Montesanto
Line 8 Campo Flegrei - Dazio, actually a new 5 km underground branch off Line 2
Line 9 will be a new 3.8 km metro line with 6 stations linking Museo and Colli Aminei on Line 1.

For more details click here

6:00 - 23:00, every 6 minutes rush hours, every 8-10 daytime, every 15 min after 21:00.

- FARES (2009, in Euro) - All tickets valid for buses, funiculars, metro and local railways in Naples and adjacent municipalities (Uniconapoli):

Single - EUR 1.10 (60 minutes)
Day Pass - EUR 3.10
Weekend Day Pass (Sat or Sun) - EUR 2.60

Public Transport in Campania Region

Daniele Pizzo's Naples public transport site

UrbanRail.Net > Naples Metro Gallery

LA METROPOLITANA DI NAPOLI - nuovi spazi per la mobilità e la cultura.
- Published by Electa Napoli, 2001 (in collaboration with MN Metropolitana di Napoli spa)