Metromare

Metromare is a bus rapid transit, line in the province of Rimini, Italy. Part of Rimini's trolleybus system, the line runs between the railway stations of Rimini and Riccione on a segregated track beside the Bologna–Ancona railway. Fifteen intermediate stops serve the coastal suburbs, the touristic seafront, Federico Fellini International Airport, and the Fiabilandia amusement park. Launched in November 2019, the service operated by Start Romagna SpA.

Metromare is the culmination of decades-long planning of coastal rapid transit projects in the Romagna region. It is envisaged that the line could eventually be extended to serve the length of the from Ravenna to Cattolica, forming a regional rapid transit network. A northern extension to Rimini Fiera has been approved, with construction starting in summer 2024.

In local politics, Metromare has been a controversial project, with opponents criticising its 78-million-euro construction cost and its protracted planning and construction, which spanned a quarter of a century. The opposition was particularly strong in Riccione, causing a rift between the provincial and municipal governments. Further criticism surrounded the decision to launch the service provisionally with buses, following a delay in the delivery of nine trolleybuses which ultimately entered service in October 2021. Metromare's proponents cite its environmental benefits and the relief it provides on traffic congestion and the route 11 trolleybus, which also connects Rimini and Riccione but runs along the principal seafront avenue.

Overview

Route

The current Metromare system runs on a long track entirely segregated from outside traffic and adjacent to the Bologna–Ancona railway. Almost 60 percent of the route has only a single bi-directional lane while the remainder has two lanes, but there are two sets of overhead trolley wiresone for each directionalong the entire line. Traffic signals control the movement of vehicles in the one-lane sections. Just beyond the Riccione terminus, Metromare vehicles briefly leave the busway to turn around via a small roundabout in front of the railway station; this is the only place where the route's trolleybuses run along public streets during the service day, but they do not carry passengers during this manoeuvre.Trolleybus Magazine No. 368 (March–April 2023), pp. 74, 77. National Trolleybus Association (UK).

The route starts at Rimini railway station in the city centre, with connections to regional and national Trenitalia railway services, local and suburban buses, and coaches to San Marino. The next stop southbound, Kennedy, gives access to the Roman amphitheatre. Two further stops (Pascoli, Lagomaggio) complete the section in the of Rimini. The roadway is only one lane wide at Lagomaggio, but is two lanes wide at all other stations.

In the of Bellariva, the Toscanini stop is closest to the hospital, and is followed by Bellariva, Marebello and Rivazzurra in their homonymous . The Fiabilandia stop in Rivazzurra serves the amusement park. In the of Miramare, Miramare Station interchanges with Rimini Miramare railway station. The Miramare Airport stop is located near Federico Fellini International Airport. The following stops (Marano, D'Annunzio Nord, Alba, Dante) fall in the of Riccione. Porto is located above the Rio Melo and gives access to the port in Riccione. The route terminates at Ceccarini Riccione Station, which is served by regional and national railway services and local and suburban buses.

Service

As of June 2023, on weekdays, the first trolleybuses leave the route termini at 5.30am. In "winter" (mid-September to around June), the last trolleybus leaves Rimini Station at midnight and returns by 12.47am. On weekdays in the summer festive period, the last trolleybuses depart at approximately 2.00am. The typical weekday service pattern between 8.00am and 9.00pm is every 15 minutes during the "winter" timetable and every 10 minutes during the "summer" touristic high season (from around June to mid-September), with fewer services in the early morning and late evening. Reduced services operate on bank holidays. As well as the U-turns at the end of the lines, there are intermediate turning areas at Toscanini and Miramare Station, allowing trolleybuses to terminate early at these stops.

The service is operated by Start Romagna SpA, contracted by the Patrimonio Mobilità Provincia di Rimini (PMR). In January 2023, the stops of Toscanini, Alba, Dante and Porto were equipped with lifts.

Fares Metromare is integrated with Start Romagna's local bus services, and tickets can be used interchangeably on the two modes of transport. Tickets can be purchased on board at surcharge, at the route terminals, or in local convenience shops and dedicated vendors. Travel between Rimini Station and Miramare Airport falls in Rimini's urban zone, and travel between Miramare Station and Riccione Station falls in Riccione's urban zone. Miramare's stops count as neutral fare zones. Tickets are available for travel within either fare zone or across both fare zones. Metromare is integrated into the Rail SmartPass, an intermodal multi-day travel pass valid for regional Trenitalia trains in Romagna and Start Romagna buses.

Since August 2023, two non-electric folding bicycles have been allowed aboard per trolleybus between 9am and noon and 3pm and 7pm. Those travelling with a bicycle are required to pay an extra ticket.

Fleet + Current fleetTrolleybus Magazine No. 366 (November–December 2022), p. 251. Builderand model Type Image Length(metres) Capacity Qty. Fleet numbers Built Enteredservice Notes Std. Sdg. Total Van Hool ExquiCity 18T Articulatedtrolleybus 18.6 37 110 147 936511–36519 2020 October 2021 During Rimini's touristic high season (from around June to mid-September), six are in use at any one time (10-minute spacing), with three spare, while only four vehicles are required in the remainder of the year (15-minute spacing). The trolleybuses use Kiepe electrical equipment.

The fleet is housed at the depot on Viale Carlo Alberto della Chiesa, which also services route 11's trolleybuses. Trolleybuses must use their auxiliary batteries to travel between the depot and the route because the depot is not connected with overhead wiring.Trolleybus Magazine No. 369 (May–June 2023), p. 123. National Trolleybus Association (UK).

Between its launch in November 2019 and the trolleybuses' arrival in October 2021, Metromare temporarily used eight buses. These were four Iveco Urbanway 18 Hybrid buses, loaned from TPER Bologna (TPER fleet numbers 6400–6403); four IIA CityMood 12 CNG buses (Start Romagna fleet numbers 32320–32323); and four Neoplan N4522 Centroliner G buses (Start Romagna fleet numbers 36041, 36043–36045).

History

Background Before Metromare, the towns of Rimini and Riccione were connected by public transport through regional trains and the route 11 trolleybus, which runs along the principal seafront avenue in Rimini. Especially during the tourist season, congestion could slow journeys considerably, with trolleybuses taking up to an hour to complete the route.

In March 1994, city planner Leonardo Benevolo proposed a in a package of urban projects for Rimini, with a projected cost of Lit. 120 billion. The line would run double-tracked from the site of the new Rimini Fiera to Riccione using guided trolleybuses.Trolleybus Magazine No. 208 (July–August 1996), p. 102.Trolleybus Magazine No. 291 (May–June 2010), p. 67. National Trolleybus Association (UK). The project was approved by the regional assembly in June 1994, and expected to open in 2000. In March 1996, the central government approved a loan of Lit. 62 billion. Rimini and Riccione municipal council approved the programme by spring 1998, which would, until February 2018, become known as (TRC) (Coastal Rapid Transport). The project's controversies would later echo early opposition from this period, including the project's expected costs and its effects on surrounding properties and existing trees. The TRC was a significant theme in Rimini's 1999 municipal elections after unsuccessful campaigns for the issue to go to referendum in Rimini and Riccione.

Construction The central government committed to funding the project in 2006, but the disbursement of these funds was delayed to 2011. The contracts for engineering and constructing the line were signed in 2008. Construction took place between July 2012 and late 2017, conducted by a temporary association of companies: Italiana Costruzioni SpA for the civil engineering; Balfour Beatty Rail for the traction system; and Project Automation SpA for the auxiliary operation systems. The construction included four new vehicular underpasses to replace existing railway level crossings, three new and nine refurbished pedestrian underpasses, nine new road bridges, two new bridges over water and a further seven new bridges over streams and ditches. Installation of the overhead wires for trolleybuses was about half completed by August 2017.Trolleybus Magazine No. 335 (September–October 2017), p. 188. In December 2017, the completed bus-only roadway was tested by conventional articulated buses from Start's existing fleet. In 2018, further works installed the remaining overhead wires, constructed the stops, and tested the automated control centre. Three AG300T trolleybuses from route 11 carried out the first tests of the wiring and substations of the TRC line in March 2018.Trolleybus Magazine No. 350 (March–April 2020), pp. 68, 70.

By spring 2019, structural and vehicular testing along the route were complete and Metromare merely required the approval of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport to launch, which it would receive in September. While the provincial mayor hoped to launch the service in October 2019, a further month's delay took place.

Metromare's infrastructure cost was estimated at just over 78 million euros, below the 81 million euros that had been set aside at the time of the project's approval in 2006. The central government was budgeted to pay for 42 million euros of this cost, with local and regional government agencies providing 38 million euros. The contract for the trolleybuses cost a further 10.6 million euros, mostly paid by local agencies. Several separate urban projects later accompanied the Metromare, including an additional 1,400 parking spaces across the Kennedy, Toscanini, Rivazzurra, and Miramare Station stops, and a new on Rivazzurra's Via dei Martiri. The parking spaces are partly intended to replace those removed along the seafront by the redevelopment of the pedestrian esplanade.

Metromare was expected to eliminate between 12,000 and 15,000 car journeys a day, equal to an 11% drop in fine particles along Rimini's coastal route per year.

Launch and operation

Metromare launched on 23 November 2019. 17,000 passengers used the service in its inaugural weekend, for which all journeys were free. 7,915 passengers used Metromare the subsequent week. Due to a delay in the delivery of the nine VanHool Exquicity 18T trolleybuses purchased to run on the line, operations used traditional buses.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Metromare services were suspended on 21 March 2020. Following a request by the provincial government, services resumed on 25 July 2020 with reduced capacity. After a further pandemic-induced delay, the first trolleybus was delivered to Rimini on 12 June 2020, and the vehicles entered service in October 2021.

In May 2023, it was reported that the new Line E of Rome Metro, connecting Rome to Ostia, would be branded as Metromare. PMR's president said that they had registered the Metromare name and logo in January 2021, and did not plan to bring legal action.

Extension to Rimini Fiera