ITALY: Napoli metro Line 6 reopened on July 17, 11 years after services were suspended.
The original 2·3 km line west from Mergellina to Mostra has been extended in tunnel 3·1 km towards the city centre at Municipio, where there is interchange with Line 1. The new section has three intermediate underground stations, making a total of eight along the 5·5 km line.
Services are being operated using three Firema LTR 90 trains in the short term, but these are due to be replaced in 2025 by a fleet of 22 Hitachi Rail trainsets ordered for €200m in February this year. They will be based at a new depot at Mostra.
Ceremonies to mark the reopening took place on July 16, with Mayor Gaetano Manfredi joining other dignitaries for an inaugural journey taking in the ornate architecture of the stations.
Municipio station is entered from a sunken square alongside the Castel Nuovo, displaying mediaeval and Roman archaeological remains.
Chiaia station is designed around a light well reaching down to the platforms, transitioning from a spiral ramp to a cube decorated by sculptures, with a translucent canopy in its floor that forms the top of a dome above the platforms.
San Pasquale is built over five levels reaching a depth of 35 m. Its design, by Italian-Slovenian architect Boris Podrecca, aims to give the impression of descending into the sea. It incorporates artworks by Austrian artist Peter Kogler.
Line 6 was originally planned to open as a fast tram route for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, but was delayed until 2007. A contract for the extension to Municipio was awarded to Ansaldo STS in September 2007.
Line 6 suffered from low patronage as its initial section ran parallel to the FS-operated Line 2, which offered direct connections to Line 1 and other local and main line routes. When a nearby building collapse forced service suspension in 2013 the operator decided to extend the closure until the city centre extension was finished.
With the completed line now providing interchange at Municipio, passengers will in future be able to reach Napoli Capodichino airport, when extensions to Line 1 to create an orbital metro line are completed.
