Milan-Lodi Tramway

Milan–Lodi tramway
Lodi station in 1926
Overview
LocaleMilan and Lodi, Lombardy, Italy
Service
TypeInterurban tram
Operator(s)TIP (1882–1931)
Ferdinando Pistorius (1880–1882)
History
Opened1880
Closed1931
Technical
Line length29.692 km (18.450 mi)
Track gauge1,445 mm (4 ft 8+7⁄8 in)
Route map

The Milan–Lodi tramway was a steam-powered interurban line of the Milan network that connected the two Lombard cities, running along the provincial Piacentina road (later SS 9). It was in operation from 1880 to 1931.[1][2]

History

Following the enthusiasm generated by the opening of the first interurban tramway in the province of Milan, the Milan–Monza tramway, in 1877 a project for a tram line between Milan and Melegnano was presented by the Mascetti and Verda firms.[3] The concession for the construction and operation of a line from the Ambrosian capital to Lodi was however granted on 23 February 1879 to the knight Ferdinando Pistorius from Stuttgart.[4] The line was inaugurated on 14 October 1880, three days later than expected.[5][6]

Although the tramway ran parallel to the Milan–Bologna railway, the Società per le Ferrovie dell'Alta Italia, which was the concessionaire of the latter, did not oppose its construction, as had instead happened in the case of the Monza line.[3] Serving the territory in a more capillary manner than the railway, the tramway enjoyed good traffic success.[3] At Lodi, the line was connected to the line for Treviglio and Bergamo, also belonging to the Pistorius group.[7]

In 1881, the Melegnano–Sant'Angelo branch was activated, thanks to the interest of an inter-municipal consortium.[8]

In 1882, the Pistorius group was absorbed by the Tramways a Vapore Interprovinciali di Milano, Bergamo e Cremona (TIP), which concentrated the Milanese termini of its lines at a new station located along the avenue of Porta Romana[9][10] opened in 1884.[11] Previously, the terminus was located in the present-day Viale Bligny, about 800 m from the current Piazzale Medaglie d'Oro.[10]

At the end of the 1890s,[12] the TIP also acquired control of the Lodi–Crema–Soncino and Lodi–Sant'Angelo lines, allowing the establishment of connections from Milan to Crema and Soncino via Lodi.

With the expansion of Milan's built-up area, it became necessary to upgrade the urban penetration section (Rogoredo–Porta Romana) in order to establish a suburban electric service separate from the extra-urban steam service.[13] The section up to Rogoredo was thus electrified in the summer of 1924 with 600 volts direct current.[14][15] Management of the service then passed after a few years to ATM, which incorporated it into the urban network as line 32, moving the terminus from Corso Lodi to the present-day Viale Lucania.[16] The urban tramway remained single-track, a unique case on the city network.[16]

The extra-urban section, on the other hand, was not affected by upgrade projects, due to low passenger traffic levels and competition from road transport in freight traffic.[17] To counter the competition from road transport that was spreading in the 1920s, the TIP decided to experiment with railcars equipped with internal combustion engines powered by petrol. A single unit was purchased,[18] which operated between Milan and Melegnano in 1927; the outcome of the experiment was evaluated negatively.[17]

Tram service continued until 15 May 1931, when it was suppressed and replaced by a bus service.[19][20]

Characteristics

Route map
to Vaprio
0.500
 Porta Romana
 Dazio
South ring railway
2.000
 Gamboloita
 Rogoredo
Milan–Bologna and Milan–Genoa railways
4.000
 Rogoredo
6.500
 San Donato
7.700
 Cascina Nuova
9.500
 San Giuliano
15.000
 Melegnano
to Sant'Angelo Lodigiano
Lambro river
15.800
 Scambio Buttafava
19.000
 Villa Bissone
22.500
 Tavazzano
Muzza canal
27.500
 San Grato
27.980
 Scambio Cemetery
30.000
 Lodi (Porta Milano)
to Bergamo and Soncino

The line was a single-track tramway 29.692 kilometres (18.450 mi) long.[21]

The gauge adopted was the ordinary Italian tramway gauge of 1,445 mm (4 ft 8+7⁄8 in). As for other lines of the Pistorius group, Vignoles rails were used for both urban and extra-urban sections. In the former case, the rails were protected by other counter-rails, also of the Vignoles type, in order to facilitate the running of tram wheels. The weight per linear metre of the track was 18 kg.[22]

Traction remained steam for the entire operating life of the line. The exception was the section between Milan and Rogoredo, electrified at 600 volts direct current and covered by a suburban service with electric railcars, operated until 1 July 1931 by the TIP[23] and then by ATM as urban line 32, which connected Rogoredo station to Piazzale Corvetto until 1960.[24]

Route

Originally, the Milan station of the line was located along the ring road between the Lodovica and Vigentina gates.[25] The line ran along the ring road itself to Porta Romana, where it turned into Corso Lodi, continuing along the provincial Piacentina road (later state road 9), skirting the Redefossi canal.[10]

At Rogoredo station, it crossed the tracks of the railways to Bologna and to Genoa at grade, then touched San Donato and San Giuliano, and entered Melegnano following the original route of the Via Emilia.[3]

The Melegnano station was located in the open space of Via Roma, and was the junction point of the line for Sant'Angelo.[3] The line for Lodi, after crossing the Lambro, ran along the narrow streets Dezza, San Martino, and Lodi, leaving the hamlet.[3]

After Sordio, Tavazzano, and San Grato, the tramway reached Lodi, whose station was shared with the line for Bergamo and was located just outside Porta Milano.[26]

See also

References

  1. ↑ LombardiaBeniCulturali 1931
  2. ↑ Il Giorno 2024
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cornolò 1980, p. 37.
  4. ↑ RecSando, par. "La tramvia a vapore Milano – Melegnano – Lodi"
  5. ↑ Fanfulla da Lodi 1880, p. 2.
  6. ↑ Il Lemene 1880, p. 3.
  7. ↑ Zanin 2016, p. 28.
  8. ↑ Zanin 2016, p. 45
  9. ↑ Now Viale Monte Nero at the corner of Viale Libia.
  10. 1 2 3 Cornolò 1980, p. 52.
  11. ↑ Zanin 2016, p. 81.
  12. ↑ There is disagreement among sources on this aspect. According to Cornolò, the transfer took place in 1895, while according to Zanin it occurred in October 1898. See Cornolò 1980, pp. 49, 154 and Zanin 2009, p. 44.
  13. ↑ Cornolò 1980, p. 110.
  14. ↑ EcomuseoVettabbiaFontanili, par. "Rogoredo"
  15. ↑ Zanin 2016, p. 90.
  16. 1 2 Cornolò 1980, pp. 110–113.
  17. 1 2 Cornolò 1980, p. 125.
  18. ↑ Zanin 2016, p. 158.
  19. ↑ Zanin 2016, p. 92.
  20. ↑ Archivio Storico Lodigiano 1931, p. 99.
  21. ↑ Cornolò 1980, p. 341.
  22. ↑ Cornolò 1980, pp. 48, 52.
  23. ↑ Zanin 2016, p. 97.
  24. ↑ EcomuseoVettabbiaFontanili, par. "Rogoredo"
  25. ↑ RecSando, par. "La prima stazione in Milano"
  26. ↑ Il Giorno 2024, par. "Stazione Porta Milano"

Bibliography

  • Archivio Storico Lodigiano (June 1931). "Cessazione servizio dei tram" [Cessation of tram service]. Archivio Storico Lodigiano.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • Cornolò, Giovanni (1980). Fuori porta in tram. Le Tranvie extraurbane milanesi 1876-1980 [Out of the gate by tram. The Milanese extra-urban tramways 1876-1980]. Parma: Ermanno Albertelli Editore. SBN SBL0312057.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • EcomuseoVettabbiaFontanili. "Rogoredo" [Rogoredo]. Ecomuseo Vettabbia Fontanili. Retrieved 2026-08-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • Fanfulla da Lodi (16 October 1880). "Cronaca e fatti diversi" [Chronicle and various facts]. Fanfulla da Lodi. VII (42).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • Il Giorno (31 May 2024). "Da Lodi a Milano sul 'Gamba de legn', il tram zoppiccante che 'sfrecciava' a 20 all'ora" [From Lodi to Milan on the 'Gamba de legn', the limping tram that 'raced' at 20 km/h]. Retrieved 2026-08-13.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • Il Lemene (16 October 1880). "Cronaca lodigiana e cose varie" [Lodi chronicle and various things]. Il Lemene. III (42).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • LombardiaBeniCulturali (1931). "Milano – Viale Montenero – Rimessa di Porta Romana – Rimessa dei tram interprovinciali a vapore per la tratta Milano-Lodi" [Milan – Viale Montenero – Porta Romana depot – Depot of interprovincial steam trams for the Milan-Lodi route]. Retrieved 2026-08-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • RecSando. "San Donato: Cenni storici: Il Lambro – Il Gamba de Legn" [San Donato: Historical notes: The Lambro – The Gamba de Legn]. Retrieved 2026-08-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • Zanin, Paolo (2009). Monza e i suoi tram. Storia dei collegamenti tranviari da Monza a Milano e alla Brianza [Monza and its trams. History of tram connections from Monza to Milan and Brianza] (2 ed.). Florence: Phasar. ISBN 978-88-6358-028-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • Zanin, Paolo (2016). A Lodi in tram dalle province di Milano, Bergamo e Cremona [To Lodi by tram from the provinces of Milan, Bergamo and Cremona]. Salò: ETR. ISBN 978-88-85068-45-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.