Rail transport in Vatican City

The Vatican State Railway is a railway infrastructure company, which operates the siding of the Vatican to the Italian railway infrastructure. It does not own railway vehicles.

History

After Italy had the Papal States, in the already perverted railroads, in 1870 finally eliminated during the Risorgimento, the Popes went into a self-imposed isolation in the Vatican, which they also did not leave. This changed only by the Lateran Treaty of 1929 with the Vatican City part of Italy was recognized as an independent state. Article 6 of the Lateran Treaty was granted by Italy to the Vatican to build a rail connection to the Italian railway network and on the floor of the Vatican City State is a train station. The connection was made in the Roman Roma San Pietro Train Station as a branch of the railway line Rome - Viterbo.

The work was carried out under the direction of the competent railway construction Directorate of the Ministry of Public Works of the Kingdom of Italy and already started on 3 April 1929.

Plant

Construction

The railway system was built between Piazza Santa Marta and the Governor's Palace. Considerable earthworks were required to reach the surface a uniform level (38 m above sea level), which corresponds to the railway station Roma San Pietro. The connection between this Italian train station and the railway system of the Vatican was only possible via a 143 m long, brick viaduct. It was built in brick and partly covered with travertine. It has eight arches with a span of 15.30 m. Because of construction, are the coat of arms of the House of Savoy and fasces, symbol of Italian fascism to see on the building. The viaduct crosses the Via Aurelia and the Viale Vaticano interrupts.

In the course of the construction work reached for the first time in March 1932 locomotive the Vatican. This is required for the cross-border transport agreement between the Vatican and the Italian railroad was not concluded until 12 September 1934. In October of the same year Italy handed over the technical equipment, in so far as they lay in the field of the Vatican. These were paid for by the Vatican. If they are on the Italian territory, they were paid by Italy, and the Italian railway infrastructure.

Technical facilities

The Vatican State Railway consists essentially of a track field and a reception building. The driveway leads through a private gate in the ramparts of the Vatican, the coat of arms of a Pope Pius XI. is decorated. The passage is usually completed with a steel gate across from the Italian side. The gate consists of two wings, each a solid steel frame that is lined with 8 mm thick sheet steel. The wings roll on two narrow-gauge chassis with a track width of 480 mm. You can zoom in and be pulled out by hand or by machine power in the Wall. From this gate until the end of the track is about 300 m. Probably it is the state railway with the shortest track system in the world. Immediately behind the gate begins the ( only ) platform, adjacent to which the receiver building.

The railway system is quite simple. The station has two parallel tracks, one of which is the platform track. Branching there are two short stub track on which freight cars to be unloaded, may be parked. The points of the system are made by hand.

The tracks are located in a wide, shallow depression in the middle of the Vatican gardens. In order to achieve the necessary length of track for shunting at all, the Ausziehgleis had to be placed at the head end of the station with its tail in a 97 m long stump tunnel that leads to the west of the station hills. The tunnel has - to ensure its drainage - a gentle slope on. He was completely worked out of a marble rock.

Legal organization

1929 laid down the Vatican that apply the Italian legislation for railway operations on its territory. Maintenance of the systems and their operation were first separated. The maintenance of equipment focused on the Department of Railways and Transport, the operation at the Department of Annona and finance. In 1934 the Department of Railways and Transport was incorporated into the technical and financial management of the strand, so that they as well as the department Annona and Finance subordinate to the Director General for Financial Services.

1939, the governor of the Vatican was authorized to establish an administration for the supply of goods of the Vatican. This was associated with, among others, the responsibilities for everyone from the railroad agreement with Italy arising questions. 1969 these tasks the control of the SG were assumed, since 1976 /77 railway matters focus on the management of commercial goods. The Administration for trade goods is subordinate to the Director General for Technical Services at the Vatican, which in turn is part of the administration of the Governorate of Vatican City.

Operation and use

Rail staff not part of the Vatican, but is provided by the Italian railways. There is also a telephone and telegraph connection to the adjacent train station Roma San Pietro.

In general, rail freight is only handled by the station. Persons is extremely rare and limited to a few special trains.

Although Pope Pius XI. on the occasion of reconciliation with the State insisted on the rail connection, he has never used it and never left the Vatican. The first pope who used the track in person, John XXIII was. on October 4, 1962 - one week before the opening of the Second Vatican Council - for a pilgrimage to Loreto and Assisi. Served on loan for the occasion saloon car of the Italian President as a vehicle. This trip was seen as a symbolic break with the tradition of detachment from the world awareness and openness to the world, because more than 90 years before Pius IX. was the last pope who Loreto - had visited, was there also driven the last pope by train and had stayed outside the walls of the Vatican - even as head of state of the Papal States.