|
RAILWAYS
Upgrading
and doubling of the Orte - Falconara Marittima
Railway Line: Jesi - Falconara
Section and Branch
Line to the Adriatic Line - Italy
Client: Consortium
CO.MA.VI. on behalf of Ente Ferrovie dello Stato.
Services: Basic,
preliminary and final designs
Period: 1984-1989
Construction Cost: €
77,984,992
The Project:
In 1982 the Italian State Railways issued
the Integrative Master Plan, aiming to improve the national
railway system. The necessity to completely redevelop the
Orte-Falconara line stemmed from the need to construct an
important transversal connection between the main trunk line
Rome-Milan and the Adriatic coastal line capable of handling
national and international traffic.
Given these premises, Orte-Falconara line had to satisfy
advanced railway standards which involved the doubling of the
line and the re-alignment of the curves to allow for an
operating speed of 200 km/h. The project also included a
complete triple aspect, two-way, automatic block system
suitable for the cab repetition of the signals.
Following the usual procedure of entrusting the combined
services of design and construction to a pre-qualified general
contractor composed of contracting and engineering firms, the
State Railways charged the Consortium. with the design and
construction of the upgrading and doubling of the
Orte-Falconara railway line. In this organisation, Technital
was awarded the engineering services related to the
Jesi-Falconara section of 18,5 km length.
The stretch between Jesi and Falconara lies in the
Esino River valley and touches the townships of Chiaravalle
and Castlferretti. The doubling was achieved parallel to the
existing line and with the modification of a few curves in
order to enable the trains to reach an operating speed of 200
km/h. The totally electrified line has a maximum longitudinal
gradient of 12 per thousand (compensated). The permanent way
is composed of 60 UNI-type rails placed on pre-stressed
concrete sleepers. The track formation has a total width of
12 m. and lateral service paths. The design also included the
use of sub-ballast in a bituminous conglomerate. The distance
between main line axes is 4 m. Thanks to the uncomplicated
morphology of the areas crossed by the railway it was possible
to include bridges and viaducts to a total of 343 m. Works
were also planned to eliminate all of the level crossings with
the related rearrangement of the adjacent local roads.
The redevelopment of the stations of Jesi and Chiaravalle is
of particular importance where, in addition to the redesign of
the station layouts in connection with the doubling of the
line and alignment modifications, the design also included
freight yards, new station buildings, accommodation for train
personnel, lighting systems, and underground subway access to
the tracks. In order to satisfy the foreseen increases in
railway traffic, a new telecommanded electrical sub-station
was also planned in Jesi. In order to ensure the connection
between the new line and the ZIPA and SADAM industrial
installations, plans were also made for the necessary sidings.
The branch line between the Orte-Falconara and
Adriatic lines
is a single-track, electrified line with an 11 m. wide track
formation and a total length of 7,358 m. Design speed is 100
km./h and the minimum horizontal radius is 470 m., whereas
the maximum non-compensated longitudinal gradient is 13.6 per
thousand. The permanent way is composed of UNI 60 type rails
with 2.60 m. and pre-stressed r.c. sleepers placed at a 60 cm.
intervals.
|
