GENOVA: BACK IN THE TRAMWAY BUSINESS: PART 1: THE INTERURBANS AND THE 'LIGHT METRO'

This article relates the history of tram and light rail services in Genova, Italy, from the 1960s on, especially the development of a new light metro line. Plans for this line were first formulated in the early 1970s. It would re-use old rail tunnels and other abandoned old railway infrastructure, and also use the Certosa Tunnel, which was then being used by buses. The tunnel was closed to buses early in 1982, but progress on the project was very slow, while the planned route was being drastically changed. Due to the line's strict specifications, the metro had to become heavier than originally planned, and thus more expensive and slower to implement. The 2.6km section of line between Brin and Dinegro was opened on 13 June 1990, and its extension to Principe was opened on 27 July 1992. Tunnelling is in progress beyond Principe, and the eventual line is still planned to have 11 stations. The present basic three-station weekday service has 10-minute headways.