Electrification Veneto Basin: low ring

EBV: Low Ring lines of Belluno

Railway station of Belluno, Friday, June 11, at 10:47 am. Tricolor flags and the anthem of Mameli sung by the children of the nursery school greet, on a day defined as "historic," the arrival at platform 1 of the modern train Pop 16856: the first electrically powered train to travel the electrified Conegliano - Belluno line.

The inaugural ceremony marks a significant milestone in the RFI project "Electrification of the low lines of the Bellunese" and an appreciable achievement for the railway transport of the entire Veneto region. Approximately 55 million euros have been invested by RFI: "an important investment," emphasizes RFI President Anna Massutti on the occasion, "which is part of the broader package of 200 million euros allocated to the Veneto Basin project and the electrification of the entire Belluno ring."

A fundamental project for railway transport - for the local population and tourists - and for its environmental sustainability. A project for the future, born in anticipation of the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games but also looking further ahead.

Routes and Stations: Electrification Works

Three railway routes in the territories of Padua, Vicenza, Treviso, and Belluno are included in the RFI project "Bacino Veneto."

As part of Framework Agreement 224, it has envisaged the complete electrification of the so-called "Anello basso linee del Bellunese", entrusting the executive design and implementation of works, on stations and lines, to the consortium of companies composed of GCF - Generale Costruzioni Ferroviarie S.p.A. (lead contractor), Ineo Scle Ferroviaire Snc, and Sirti S.p.A.

The electrification and environmental sustainability program - aimed at eliminating diesel locomotives while maximizing the environmental benefits of zero-emission rail transport - has affected the 30-kilometer section from Bassano del Grappa to Cittadella to Camposampiero, the 15-kilometer section from Castelfranco Veneto to Montebelluna, and the mostly mountainous 45-kilometer section from Conegliano Veneto to Belluno.

Overall, there are approximately 92 kilometers of single-track railway along which over 2,700 foundation blocks have been laid for the installation of as many line poles or galvanized steel portals equipped with brackets - mostly of the Omnia type - intended for anchoring the double-wire copper contact line of 2 x 100 mmq supported by a double copper carrying rope of 2 x 120 mmq. A tensioning work that, through cities, vineyards, mountainous stretches, and lake shores, has produced 62 km of Electric Traction line with a section of 440 mmq and 30 km with TE line at a section of 320 mmq.

Significant interventions were also carried out for the electrification of the stations involved in the project - about ten major ones - not only for the installation and equipment of poles and portals with MEC beams but, above all, for the construction of new TE transformation cabins (at Cittadella, Conegliano, Camposampiero) and S.S.E. (Electrical Substations) (at Bassano del Grappa, Nove-Vittorio Veneto, Ponte nelle Alpi) functional for the power supply of the contact line.

The mountainous stretch between Vittorio Veneto and Belluno

The electrification works along the 30-kilometer mountainous stretch between Vittorio Veneto and Belluno are particularly complex.

This section is characterized by the presence of significant historical viaducts (from the Ponte sul Meschio, known as the 12 arches, on the outskirts of Vittorio Veneto, to the monumental Ponte sul Piave in Cadola), the crossing of numerous inhabited centers and stations (Nove, S. Croce del Lago, Stazione per l'Alpago, Cadola, Ponte nelle Alpi), and above all, the existence of 22 tunnels, totaling approximately 7 and a half kilometers, which have been equipped with 280 tunnel hangers fixed using special stainless steel clamps.

Two of them, the S. Croce and the Fadalto (the longest with its 2,152 meters of development), have been equipped with the Stes (tunnel safety system); two others - the Burigo and the Vigneta, with a length of about 500 meters - have been fitted with GCF-certified rigid catenary, essential to make the most of the limited spaces in historical structures.

Views and structures along the Conegliano - Belluno section and near the Montebelluna station.

The Benefits of Railway Electrification

The electrified railway ring offers significant advantages, including the possibility to reach Belluno on a single train from both Padua and Venice without stops or changes; reduced travel times; complete environmental compatibility and sustainability, both in terms of CO2 emissions and noise pollution; enhanced comfort for passengers, commuters, and tourists provided by the state-of-the-art Pop trains equipped with electrical outlets and bike spaces with charging points; the ability for electric trains to fully exploit the structural capabilities of the line, reaching the maximum permitted speed more easily and widening the recovery margins in case of any delays; increased reliability and safety of the technologically improved railway infrastructure equipped with the Train Movement Control System (Scmt).

Regarding the environmental benefits arising from the possibility of eliminating diesel traction and replacing it with electrically powered trains, Sabrina De Filippis, Director of the Regional Transport Division at Trenitalia, emphasized during the inauguration of the Bellunese low ring: "Our POP is a sustainability gem, built with 97% recyclable material and capable of reducing energy consumption by 30%. Within two years, thanks to 78 new trains, we will bring the fleet to an average age of 5 years. Another milestone for Veneto, which has the highest punctuality index and a customer satisfaction rate of over 95%."

EBV - Electrification in Figures

L1 Bassano - Camposampiero

Stazioni: 3    
Bassano: 32 pali, S.S.E.
Cittadella: 103 pali, cabina TE
Camposampiero: 66 pali, cabina TE

Linea: 30 km  
Blocchi e pali: 700
Attrezzaggio: mensole tradizionali in acciaio
Sezione Linea di contatto: 320 mmq

L2 Castelfranco - Montebelluna

Stazioni: 2   
Castelfranco: 10 pali
Montebelluna: 152 pali, 11 travi MEC

Linea: 30 km  
Blocchi e pali: 358
Attrezzaggio: mensole OMNIA
Sezione Linea di contatto: 440 mmq

L3 Conegliano - Belluno

Stazioni: 6   
Conegliano: 16 travi MEC; Cabina TE
Vittorio Veneto: 80 pali, 5 travi MEC
Nove: S.S.E.
S. Croce: 27 pali
Ponte nelle Alpi: 110 pali, 10 travi MEC, S.S.E.
Belluno: 86 pali, 11 travi MEC

Linea: 45 km  
Blocchi e pali: 994
Attrezzaggio: mensole OMNIA
Sezione Linea di contatto: 440 mmq

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  L1 Bassano - Camposampiero

  Stazioni: 3    
  Bassano: 32 pali, S.S.E.
  Cittadella: 103 pali, cabina TE
  Camposampiero: 66 pali, cabina TE

  Linea: 30 km  
  Blocchi e pali: 700
  Attrezzaggio: mensole tradizionali in acciaio
  Sezione Linea di contatto: 320 mmq

• 

  L2 Castelfranco - Montebelluna

  Stazioni: 2   
  Castelfranco: 10 pali
  Montebelluna: 152 pali, 11 travi MEC

  Linea: 30 km  
  Blocchi e pali: 358
  Attrezzaggio: mensole OMNIA
  Sezione Linea di contatto: 440 mmq

• 

  L3 Conegliano - Belluno

  Stazioni: 6   
  Conegliano: 16 travi MEC; Cabina TE
  Vittorio Veneto: 80 pali, 5 travi MEC
  Nove: S.S.E.
  S. Croce: 27 pali
  Ponte nelle Alpi: 110 pali, 10 travi MEC, S.S.E.
  Belluno: 86 pali, 11 travi MEC

  Linea: 45 km  
  Blocchi e pali: 994
  Attrezzaggio: mensole OMNIA
  Sezione Linea di contatto: 440 mmq

Veneto Basin Electrification: Video and Photographic Contributions

Photo galleries: EBV photogallery 1 | EBV photogallery 2

Video galleries (filter: Veneto Basin Electrification): EBV video gallery

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