Catanzaro Lido railway station () is one of the railway stations serving the city and comune of Catanzaro, capital of the Calabria region, southern Italy. Opened in 1875, it forms part of the Jonica railway (Taranto–Reggio Calabria), and is also a terminus of a secondary line, the Lamezia Terme–Catanzaro Lido railway.
The station is currently managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI). However, the commercial area of the passenger building is managed by Centostazioni. The station's main line train services are operated by or on behalf of Trenitalia. Each of these companies is a subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), Italy's state-owned rail company.
The nearby Catanzaro Lido railway station (FC), operated by the Ferrovie della Calabria (FC), is a terminus of a metre gauge line from Cosenza, and there is convenient interchange between the two stations.
Location
Catanzaro Lido railway station is situated at Piazzale Stazione, in the Lido district of Catanzaro.
History
The station was opened on 20 May 1875, together with the rest of the Catanzano Lido–Monasterace section of the Jonica railway.
At that time, the station was known as Marina di Catanzaro. On 15 November 1875, it became a through station, upon the inauguration of the final section of the Jonica railway, between Crotone (then known as Cotrone) and Catanzaro Lido.
The station's first operator was the Società per le Strade Ferrate Meridionali (, SFM).
Initially, the Jonica railway was very important. Until the completion of the Southern Tyrrhenian railway in the late nineteenth century, it was the only link from the far south of mainland Italy (and Sicily) to the centre and north of the peninsula. Prior to 1890, when the Metaponto–Potenza–Battipaglia railway came into operation, it was the essential connection to Naples and Rome.
The line's importance waned as the Southern Tyrrhenian railway diverted most of its traffic via Salerno and Naples. However, as a strategic link between the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas, it was a target of Allied bombing during World War II. Track 1 at the station now has a plaque in memory of the railwaymen who fell in World War II, and also in memory of the bombing of the station itself.
After the war, the station appeared to have a brighter future, so it was rebuilt in its present form, and the entire goods yard and locomotive shed were rearranged. In 2007, substantial restyling renewed the station's appearance, and made it more secure and comfortable.
Train services
The station is served by the following service(s):
Intercity services Taranto - Sibari - Crotone - Catanzaro Lido - Roccella Jonica - Reggio Calabria Regional services (Treno regionale) Sibari - Crotone - Cantanzaro Lido Regional services (Treno regionale) Catanzaro Lido - Roccella Jonica - Reggio di Calabria Regional services (Treno regionale) Catanzaro Lido - Catanzaro - Lamezia Terme
Features
Passenger building
Prior to its major facelift in 2007, the passenger building at the station was virtually derelict. Today, it presents as a mix between its old design (facing the station yard) and a breath of modernity (facing the street). On the station yard side, the original structure has even been preserved and restored in its original colors, and the canopy facing track 1 has been repainted.
From the street side of the passenger building, a generous shelter in blue plexiglass, supported by an iron structure, protects its main entrances. Inside is a large hall, which is well lit, thanks to the numerous windows and the positioning of the benches. There are also a small kiosk, the three branches of the ticket office and the entrance to the bar.
Two exits lead from the passenger building to the tracks. Between those exits are the steps down to the spacious pedestrian underpass, which is equipped with monitors giving train information, and a sound system. The underpass is useful, not only to rail passengers, but also to those walking between the city centre and Marina district side to the Fortuna area. Anyone wishing to make such a connection was previously bound to use an old and historic iron bridge.
All platforms at the station are equipped with shelters, and information boards giving details of arrivals and departures. There is also a vending machine on the platform between tracks 2 and 3.
Track plan
Catanzaro Lido has five tracks used for passenger services, plus a sixth, on which service vehicles or passenger cars needing maintenance are often stored.