Rome, the Eternal City, where even the trams seem to enjoy historical monument protection. On the tram network, beautifully preserved Stanga trams from the 1940s still circulate, and it feels as though time has stood still on the remaining stretch of the Rome-Giardinetti railway line, whose very existence is a miracle.
Trams at the terminus -- Rome's main train station, Termini, used to be intersected by several tram lines in the square in front of it. Most of their traffic was taken over by the subway, and today, only a two-track loop terminal remains, where trams number 5 and 14 turn back towards the eastern suburbs. -- Roma Termini, 6 March 2025, 11:36
Rolling on hidden wheels - A 9000-series Socimi tram of Rome’s public transportation company ATAC runs towards the terminus Termini. These are articulated trams, but it seems as if they don’t have wheels in the middle. Of course, they do, but they are relatively small, located underneath the narrow, box-shaped central section that also serves as a passageway between the tram's two largest parts. The trams were built in 1990, so they’re not exactly new, but not yet classics either, which is why the term 'youngtimer' fits them well. (Roma, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele / Italy, 6 March 2025, 12:13 CET)
Towards Porta Maggiore - The characteristic vehicles of the Roman tram network are the Stanga trams, which entered service directly after World War II, in 1947. Since then, several of their components have been replaced and modernized, but their appearance has hardly changed. Due to modern expectations, they no longer meet requirements, mainly because of the high floor and the lack of air conditioning. Therefore, after the next major tram purchase, we will likely only be able to ride them as nostalgia trams. (Roma, Via de Porta Maggiore, 6 March 2025, 12:22 CET)
Piazza di Porta Maggiore - Four of the city's six tram lines pass through here, but since both of the city's tram depots are nearby, all of the city's trams pass through this area. Due to the track connections, it's like a large roundabout, with trams able to travel in any direction and even turn around here. Yet, it doesn’t resemble a sorting yard; it looks more like a livable urban space. (Roma, Piazza di Porta Maggiore / Italy, 6 March 2025, 12:45 CET)
Where Trams meet the Roman History - Piazza di Porta Maggiore is not only a meeting point for the Roman trams but also a route for the vehicles of the Rome-Giardinetti local railway, including cars that are over a hundred years old. The Porta Maggiore standing here is a significant monument, part of the Roman city wall built in the 3rd century, and serves as the eastern gate of Rome. (Roma, Porta Maggiore, 6 March 2025, 12:57 CET)
Passing under the Aquaduct - The SOCIMI tram, which passes under the Roman aqueduct, has another stop in the square before it heads towards the suburbs along Via Prenestina. Hmm, she still looks weird with those invisible middle wheels. (Roma, Porta Maggiore / Italy, 13:07 CET)
Blocking the Jumbotram - At the Porta Maggiore tram roundabout, trams sometimes get stuck, and passing through can take several minutes. Behind the Stanga trams, one of the 3-line Jumbotrams is waiting, and above it, a double-decker suburban train with the uniquely painted E464.464 locomotive. The main road connecting to the square is crossed by no less than fifteen main railway tracks, handling the traffic from Termini station. (Roma, Porta Maggiore / Italy, 13:40 CET)
Find the Difference! - Probably due to construction work, the 5 and 14 lines have been combined. The traffic management is not perfect. Nothing happens for a long time, then two trams come after each other. At the front, there's a tram from the 7100 series. These trams arrived later, between 1952 and 1953, compared to the original Stangas. They were not delivered to ATAC, but to a different company STEFER. During the rebuilding and modernization of the two series, most of the differences disappeared, and today the most noticeable difference is the base of the pantograph. (Roma, Via Prenestina / Italy, 6 March 2025, 14:01 CET)
The unstoppable trams of line 19 -- The square is actually a large tram roundabout around Porta Maggiore, where four lines come from four directions. The track connections are complicated, and trams can reach anywhere from anywhere, but not all lines are fortunate when it comes to the stops. The 19 line stops twice in one direction at the square, but not at all in the other. -- Roma (it), Piazza di Porte Maggiore, 6 March 2025, 14:31 CET
Beyond the ancient walls of Rome -- The trams around Porta Maggiore are never boring, but let's see where these timeworn, rusty wrecks of the Roma-Giardinetti railway are headed. -- Roma (it), Porta Maggiore, 6 March 2025, 14:40 CET
What is considered modern in Rome? -- The ancient atmosphere beyond the old city walls fades away. Inhabited by workers and immigrants, the suburbs are more like the world of Pasolini's characters, such as Mamma Roma or the Accattone. Manufactured in 1926, unit 426 of the Rome-Giardinetti railway may not have been considered modern even in Pasolini's time, but the question remains: what is considered modern in Rome? Perhaps nothing, but as can be seen, time holds no significance in Rome. -- Rome (it), Via Casiliana, 6 March 2025, 14:57 CET
Youngtimer trams rule! -- These are the newest vehicles of the Roma-Giardinetti railway, the two-car Firema trains from 1999, of which a total of six were built, numbered between 830 and 835. -- Rome (it), Via Casiliana, 6 March 2025, 15:04 CET
The life of the street -- Approaching the terminus, the landscape shifts again—apartment blocks are replaced by villas and palm trees. On the corner of Berardi Street, a priest is celebrating mass, while in front of him, a very sleek, rather feminine FIAT Punto police car with macho policemen waits for the light to turn green. The pair of units 109-110 proudly wear the flags of Italy and Rome, the Eternal City. -- Rome (it), Via Berardi, 6 March 2025, 15:31 CET
The beauty of the stone pines -- Near the terminus, the size of the buildings decreases further, but the stone pines turn even the most run-down DIY store parking lot into a fairy garden. Graffiti is a bit more present here than elsewhere, but the trains are surprisingly clean, the operators manage to take good care of them. -- Rome (it), Centocelle, 6 March 2025, 15:54 CET
The complete chaos of categorization – It’s not easy to decide whether the Roma-Giardinetti line is a railway or a tram. We could call it a TramTrain, if it weren’t such an impoliteness in its age. The urban section of the line is more tram-like, but this four-track station feels more like one you'd find on a main railway line. Here, we encounter another contradiction, as the track gauge is only 950 mm. And we can’t even say that this is a terminus because the railway (or tram) line continues; it’s just closed from here to Giardinetti. Better not to continue. I mean, they should just continue the railway line. Oh, never mind. -- Rome (it), Centocelle, 6 March 2025, 16:09 CET
Stopped after only 35 years -- Next to the terminus, there is a depot and a vehicle graveyard. The three-car T81 units, manufactured by Firema, are among the newer ones, but none of them are operational anymore. -- Rome (it), Centocelle, 6 March 2025, 16:34 CET
Curiosity killed the cat -- Everyone knows the meaning of that traffic sign, but we have to point out that steam locomotives have never run on the Roma-Giardinetti railway or its predecessors. -- Rome (it), Centocelle, 6 March 2025, 16:42 CET
Find the difference! (Part 2) -- Perhaps it's the coloring and the front; the two trains look very similar, yet not identical. The 420 series on the left was made in 1927 by Carminati & Toselli in Milan, while the 109-110 pair on the right in 1941 by Casaralta in Bologna. -- Rome (it), Centocelle, 6 March 2025, 16:53 CET
The interior we wish we had never seen! -- It's somewhat understandable that the original wooden and fabric seats couldn't survive for a century, but these plastics are like a slap in the face. -- Rome (it), Centocelle, 6 March 2025, 16:57 CET
The Future G-Line -- For many years now, there have been plans to convert the Roma-Giardinetti railway to a modern 1435 mm track gauge light rail and extend it in both directions. This would, of course, mean the closure of the old line, and most of the old vehicles would end up at the scrapyard. The latest reports predicted this for January 2025, but it's already March, and the old trains are still running. The preparations are moving slowly, but sooner or later, the reconstruction will begin, and after that, we’ll no longer find these slightly worn, but still lovable old vehicles on the streets. -- Roma Laziali (it), 6 March 2025, 17:25 CET