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Aurora (train)

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Aurora
Overview
Service typeTrans Europ Express (TEE; 1974–75)
Rapido (1975–87)
City Night Line (CNL)
LocaleItaly, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark
First service26 May 1974 (1974-05-26)
Current operator(s)CityNightLine
Former operator(s)Ferrovie dello Stato
Route
TerminiRome / Basel
Reggio di Calabria / Copenhagen
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Electrification3000 V DC (Italy)
15 kV 16,7 Hz (Germany & Switzerland)
25 kV 50 Hz (Denmark)

The Aurora was a domestic Trans Europ Express in Italy linking Rome with Reggio di Calabria. The train was named after the Roman goddess of dawn, referring to the train's early morning departure from Rome.

Trans Europ Express

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The Aurora was based on existing first-class only Rapidos running between Rome and Naples. In 1974 the service was extended to Reggio di Calabria and upgraded to Trans Europ Express.[1] The southbound service used the schedule of Rapido 893, the northbound service the schedule of Rapido 882 already running from Reggio to Rome.[2] Despite the scenic route along the Tyrrhenian Sea between Naples and Reggio di Calabria, loading figures on this stretch were very low and consequently the Aurora was downgraded to a two-class Rapido after only 371 days as TEE on 1 June 1975.[1] On 1 June 1980 the service was extended to Palermo using the train ferry to cross the Strait of Messina. On 30 May 1987 the rapido Aurora was withdrawn from service.[3]

TEE 89 country station km TEE 88
07:20  Italy Roma Termini 0 22:05
08:54  Italy Napoli Mergellina 209 20:21
09:04  Italy Napoli Piazza Garibaldi 214 20:11
 Italy Salerno 268
 Italy Maratea 407
 Italy Lamezia Terme 546
 Italy Gioia Tauro 638
 Italy Villa San Giovanni 675
 Italy Reggio Lido 682
13:55  Italy Reggio Calabria 684 15:25

CityNightLine

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Later CityNightLine revived the name for its train which services the Basel-Copenhagen route:[4]

The stations served by the Aurora are:

Outward journey Return journey
Basel SBB Copenhagen C
Basel Bad Bf (Basel German Station) Roskilde
Freiburg (Brg) Hbf Ringsted
Offenburg Odense
Karlsruhe Hbf Kolding
Mannheim Hbf Padborg
Frankfurt (Main) Süd Flensburg
Fulda Hbf Neumünster
Neumünster Fulda
Flensburg Frankfurt (Main) Süd
Padborg Mannheim Hbf
Kolding Karlsruhe Hbf
Odense Offenburg
Ringsted Freiburg (Brg) Hbf
Roskilde Basel Bad Bf
Copenhagen C Basel SBB

References

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Works cited

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  • Hajt, Jörg (2001). Das grosse TEE Buch (in German). Bonn/Königswinter: Heel Verlag. ISBN 3-89365-948-X.
  • Mertens, Maurice; Malaspina, Jean-Pierre (2007). La Légende des Trans Europ Express (in French). Vannes: LR Presse. ISBN 978-29-036514-5-9.