Ferrovia Circumetnea

The Ferrovia Circumetnea (roughly translated as "Round-Etna Railway") is a narrow-gauge, 950 mm (3 ft 1+3⁄8 in), regional railway line in Sicily. It was constructed between 1895 and 1898.

The Circumetnea line around Mount Etna

Ferrovia Circumetnea
km.0 elevation (MASL) 0.0 Catania Porto (closed 1993) Catania Gaito (closed 1993) Catania Corso Italia (closed 1999) 3.0 Catania Borgo 53 Galleria artificiale Borgo 5.0 Cibali 100 7.0 Nesima 132 8.0 Lineri 165 11.0 Misterbianco 213 14.0 Piano Tavola (Belpasso) 254 18.0 Valcorrente 263 20.0 Giaconia 297 22.0 Paternò 225 25.0 Scalilli 335 Santa Maria di Licodia Sud 29.0 Santa Maria di Licodia Centro 442 33.0 Biancavilla 508 34.0 Biancavilla (Circumetnea) 38.0 Adrano 560 39.0 Adrano Centrale 588 45.0 Passo Zingaro 688 Galleria di Roccacalanna 55.0 Bronte │ under construction 835 63.0 Maletto 924 68.0 Gurrida 870 74.0 Randazzo ( former interchange to Alcantara ) 753 79.0 Calderara 689 82.0 Passopisciaro-Moio 653 86.0 Solicchiata 670 Rovittello Castiglione di Sicilia (1926–1961) 91.0 Cerro 628 94.0 Linguaglossa 554 97.0 Terremorte 490 101.0 Piedimonte Etneo 362 104.0 Santa Venera 275 108.0 Mascali Nunziata 176 109.0 Cutula 132 Villa di Giarre 113.0 Giarre 42 Messina–Syracuse line 113.5 Riposto-Villa Comunale 35 114.0 Riposto 18

As the name suggests, the 110-kilometre (68-mile) line follows a route which almost completely encircles the Mount Etna volcano. From its terminal in Catania the line starts off westward and loops around Mount Etna in a clockwise direction (as seen on the map), eventually reaching the other terminal at the seaside town of Riposto, approximately 28 kilometres (17 miles) northeast of Catania.

The original terminal was at Catania Porto, although Catania Central (the mainline station) was the last stop for the trains. However, in the 1990s the section from there to Catania Borgo (4 kilometres (2.5 miles) long) was converted to standard gauge and moved underground for most of its length for use as a new metro (Metropolitana di Catania). The original terminus, the Porto station, was also reinstated. Therefore, the Circumetnea trains now terminate at Catania Borgo.

The Ferrovia Circumetnea (FCE) also operates the Metropolitana. The offices for both are at Catania Borgo.

FCE operates The DMU 001-004, multiple units diesel of construction Newag. They were in service with four more on order as of late 2017. On 15 June 2024, the movement of trains on the Catania Borgo - Paternò route was suspended because of the upgrade works for the extension of the Metropolitana di Catania, with associated change of gauge, until Paternò. The railway services are replaced with bus services which will travel the almost parallel road route on the SS121, entering the towns at the stops to be served.

Gallery

• 
  The "Littorina" ALn 56.06, parked at the FCE Misterbianco station.
• 
  The DMU 001 "Vulcano" train at Catania Borgo, in December 2015.
• 
  The DMU 003 "Vulcano", at the FCE Misterbianco station.
• 
  The RALn 6402 packed at the FCE Nesima station.
• 
  Ferrovia Circumetnea, Randazzo station.
• 
  The ADe 15 in transit at the FCE Misterbianco station.
• 
  The ADe 14 and 13 leaving Giarre to Randazzo.
• 
  The ADe 09 and 08 at the FCE Catania Borgo station.
• 
  The ADe 18, named "La Prima" on occasion of its revamping, parked at the FCE Adrano Nord station.
• 
  The ADe 24 and 23 in the new livery, in transit at the FCE Misterbianco station.

See also

• Railway network of Sicily

External links

• Official Website (mostly in Italian; English, French and non-flash versions undermaintained)
• High quality photos of FCE rolling stock
• Circumetnea picture gallery on TrainsPictures.com