Austrian Railway Group

Nocebahn
Ferrovia Trento – Malč

Following the opening of the Brennerbahn in 1867 southwards from Innsbruck, the population of the Trentino area of Southern Austria campaigned for the opening of several branch lines, to improve the poor distribution of goods, and to allow the export of timber and other items from the region. Although Trento City Council voted through a proposal in 1891 to open three branch lines in the area, the neighbouring area of Süd Tirol opposed the schemes, and two were eventually abandoned. The third scheme, linking Trento with Malč, together with a branch to Mendola, was sanctioned by the Federal Government in Wien, and four years' of building culminated in the opening of the lines on 11 October 1909. From the start, the lines were run by the kaiserliche-königliche österreichische Staatsbahnen, the Austrian State Railways.

From opening, the metre-gauge lines were electrified at 800v DC. 85 km in length, of which 25 km was the branch to Mendola. Just over half the total route was tramway with street running. Services were operated by ten motor railcars, bogied and with wooden bodies on steel underframes, built by Grazer Waggon und Maschinen Fabrik of Graz, with AEG-Union supplying the electrical equipment. Grazer also provided twelve four-wheel trailers, and some postal vans and goods wagons. The power was supplied by a hydro-electric scheme on the River Sarca.

Despite the low speed of trains – the 65 km between Malč and Trento took 4 hours – the traffic exceeded all expectations, and two more railcars, four trailers and two "goods locomotives" – motor coaches with goods accommodation - were purchased.

During World War I the Austro-Hungarian army, fighting the Italian army in the Trento region, imported eight steam engines, including an 0-6-2 ST built by Krauss for the Mittelgebirgsbahn. At the end of the War, Trentino and Süd Tirol were annexed by Italy, and the lines were then run by Ferrovie dello Stato, FS, the Italian state Railways. The branch to Mendola closed in 1934 because of the poor state of the track, but the main line was taken over by Societŕ Anonima Trasporti Pubblici, who ran the line without subsidy.

During World War II the depot at Trento was badly damaged by Allied bombing, and the line struggled on until 1945. After the end of the War, Trentino sought permission to replace the line with a standard gauge branch from Treno Mezzocorona station, which the metre-gauge line passed, but Trento City Council, who owned the concession, refused to close it. In 1951 the Italian Government authorised the spending of 2.3 billion lira rebuilding the line, but as costs soared, repair work stopped. The end of the line, from Cles, closed because of the state of the track. However, rebuilding restarted in 1956. The railway was not rebuilt on the same line of route, there being no street running except in Trento. Bends were eased, and the "new" line opened on 24 June 1961, including reinstatement to Malč. Because of the rebuilding, and a tunnel which cut off a series of sharp curves around a mountainside, the line was now 4km shorter than before. At Dermulo the railway crosses the River Noce on the San Giustina bridge. Built when the line was reconstructed, this is a reinforced concrete structure spanning 78m and 140m above the river. When built it was the highest railway bridge in the world.

The old trains continued to be used, because although the Italian Government authorised the finance necessary to change the overhead to 3000v DC (the same as the state railway system) it refused to pay for any trains capable of running on it. It took three years for the new trains to arrive and the power to be changed, and the three 3-car units and five single railcars were put into service from 13 December 1964. At the same time, the street section in Trento was closed, and the line cut back to the depot at Torre Verde, and the old railcars were withdrawn.

The new trains could reach 90 km/h, and the journey time more than halved, to 80 minutes end-to-end. Trains became overcrowded, and two 950mm gauge railcars were acquired from a closed line and were converted in 1967. In 1972 the line acquired two standard-gauge trailers, and set about converting them, putting them into service in 1973. An electric locomotive was also purchased to haul standard gauge wagons on röllblocke (bogies) or röllschmell (wagons) to various factories on the line. However, the only current goods traffic is from Trento Fizli to Gardolo, using a third rail laid by FS in 1972 from the marshalling yard at Fizli.

In October 1995 the line was diverted at the Trento end to a new station adjoining the FS station, and four new two-car articulated units were purchased. At the same time, an extension, mooted in 1981, was built from Malč to Mezzana (10 km), involving a new through station at Malč, and a long viaduct across the valley. Recently, twelve Coradia electric EMUs were ordered from Alstom of Savigliano. Due for delivery at the end of 2004, the 43 million-Euro order provides new vehicles which are capable of 120 km/h, and can take 244 people in a 100% low-floor vehicle.

At Mezzana, a car-free village, the trains connect with the ski lifts. Train services are hourly, with fewer trains at weekends. Currently being built (2004) is a further extension, 10 km long, to the ski resort of Marilleva, with a further 7 km to Fucine, which would bring the total line length to 73 km., in the planning stage