Line B (Rome Metro)

Rome Metro Line B
Overview
Type	Rapid transit
System	Rome Metro
Locale	Rome, Italy
Termini	Rebibbia (north-east) Laurentina (south-west)
Stations	22
Daily ridership	300,000
Operation
Opened	1955
Owner	ATAC
Operator(s)	ATAC
Character	Underground
Technical
Line length	18.151 km (11.279 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	Overhead lines
Route map

Rome Metro · Line B

							Rebibbia
							P.Mammolo
							S.M.Soccorso
Jonio							Pietralata
Conca d'Oro							M.Tiburtini
Libia/Gondar							Quintiliani
Annibaliano							Tiburtina	Bologna
19						Policlinico
						Castro Pretorio
5 14 RM-Giardinetti				Termini A
						Cavour
						Colosseo
						Circo Massimo
RM-Lido				Piramide
						Garbatella
RM-Lido						Basilica San Paolo
						Marconi
RM-Lido						EUR Magliana
						EUR Palasport
						EUR Fermi
						Laurentina

Line B is a metro line serving Rome, Italy, and part of the Rome Metro. Despite its name, Line B was the first line to be built in the city. It crosses Rome diagonally from north-east, starting at Rebibbia station, to south, terminating at Laurentina, in the EUR district. It crosses line A at Termini station. The line has 22 stations and is shown in blue color on Metro maps.

Overview

A side view of the 1980 built MB100 cars on a Laurentina bound train stopping at EUR Magliana covered with graffiti.

Interior of an MB100 series car.

Its first service runs at 5:30am and its last at 23:30. From 18 January 2008, the last Friday and Saturday service runs at 1:30. It carries 300,000 passengers a day and runs 377 trains a day, with a peak time frequency of one train every 4.5 minutes and one every 6 minutes at other times, at a maximum frequency of 10 minutes at the most off-peak times^[1].

History

Notwithstanding its name, the B line was in fact the first metro line in Rome. The line B connects the north-east of the city with the south-west. It currently has 22 stations with terminuses at Rebibbia and Laurentina (just east of EUR). It's distinguished by the colour blue.

The B line was planned during the 1930s by the Fascist government in search of a rapid connection between the main train station, Termini, and a new district to the south-east of the city, E42, the planned location of the Universal Exposition (or Expo), which was to be held in Rome in 1942. The exposition never took place due to Italy's entrance into the Second World War in 1940. When work was interrupted some of the tunnels on the city-centre side of the metro (between Termini and Piramide) had been completed and were used as air raid shelters during the war.

Work on the metro began again in 1948, in concert with turning the space, formerly designated for the Expo, into a commercial district under the name EUR. The metro was officially opened on 9 February 1955 by the then President of the Republic Luigi Einaudi. Regular services began on the following day.

In 1990, the B line was extended from Termini to Rebibbia to the east of the city, and the entire line was modernised.

Line B1

Line B1 is a planned spur route on the B line to split off at Bologna. It will run to Jonio, with intermediate stops at Annibaliano, Libia/Gondar and Conca D'Oro.

Extensions

Apart from the B1 line, there are no current plans to extend the existing B Line.

Rolling stock

The B line primarily uses AnsaldoBreda built MB100 cars. These were built in 1980. These cars are heavily graffitied, giving the B line trains the appearance of New York City Subway trains during the 1970s. The MB100 cars are due for rebuilding at a future date.^[2]

Also used are the newer CAF MA300 cars similar to those on the A Line running in B Line service.

Notes

1. ^ Metroroma
2. ^ Rome Metro at world.nycsubway.org

External links

Media related to Line B (Rome metro) at Wikimedia Commons