From Olbia to Golfo Aranci

This time we analyze with the usual photographic eye one of the beautiful lines of Italy: the Olbia-Golfo Aranci. This short branch running in the north cape of Sardinia could seem a line of secondary importance, but truly is the last connection that supports the little remaining freight railway traffics in the Sardinian territory. Golfo Aranci infact is the last port where the wagons are embarked regularly to the "continent", to the port of Civitavecchia. The similar systems of Port Torres and Cagliari are little utilized when not abandoned. The line begins ideally in the station of Olbia, like natural prosecution of the draft from Chilivani (and Cagliari/Sassari). In reality the passenger services interrupt all here: no train - except Reg. 8969 in the morning on Cagliari - has destinations different from Golfo Aranci. Therefore the 12 runs every day are all played by ALn.668 or 663. In the summer period they add some runs again with railcars and the same trains are increased in composition, but of fact ours remains a line separated from the system of the island. Instead for the freight traffic we see the transit of 10 trains, all assigned to the D.443, often in double if not triple traction. The regularity of these freights - container or mixed trains - is a lot unstable and for some of them the run is only on selected day. If we take in consideration our photographic concern, those in the dailight hours comes down to 6 trains per day, between 8am and 7.30pm. Three of these convoys are directed to Chilivani - and from there to Sassari/Porto Torres - while remaining have Cagliari destination. Clearly the unscheduled ones are not counted. Also the timetables are much elastic, mainly being regulated on the conditions of the sea and the punctuality of the ferry in arrival from Civitavecchia. By the way that - with one obtuse and debatable choise, political much could be said - Trenitalia/FS thinks that a single ship is sufficient to guarantee these traffics, the increase perspective or of duration of this type of transports is even at least disappointing. But let's start to our travel. Our railcar leaves the beautiful station of Olbia, cured and with its aged penthouse on the first platform. As soon as we leave we meet a junction: a sharp curve on our right left the main track and disappears. It's the log that leads until Olbia Isola Bianca. It's closed from at least 12 years, making useless every attempt of train+ship integration. Once there was a shuttle service - when not even direct services - that directly carried the passengers on the wharf to the ships; with the excuse of some street consolidation works the line never reopened and its rail and the singular terminus to Isola Bianca remain invaded from grass and truck to testify how many think positive about the railroad... First part of our travel along the 21 km of the line is characterized from the constant presence of the SS.125 beside the railroad, making useless every photographic purpose. When in locality S.ta Lucia begins the SP.16 for Marinella, also our line is detached from the road and begins being tormented of curves and backcurves between hills and reliefs characterized by the perfumed presence of the Mediterranean vegetation. After not less than 12 km we meet the first stop: Rudalza. It's little more than a platform, in service to some tourist takeovers on the coast, from here approximately to 1 km. Before this stop there is already a good photographic point: a curve that can be dominated from the high of the same Provincial road allows you to shot the trains from Golfo with the background of the sea. The better light is between 11 and 14pm. Beyond Rudalza the line is hidden in trenches or between the vegetation and always runs placed side by side to some roads, in many points is near to large tourist villages and residential zones. After hardly 2 km we arrive to Marinella, stop with a small building. We continue without even wasting other time. Others 3,5 km and we stop again: we are in Cala Sabina, another platform lost in nowhere, without building. The stop is in a spectacular and truly "holiday" position. Very much people prefer to take the train and come down here rather than to arrive to the sea in a car: some paths with a truly meager length carry directly from the railroad on splendid waters of the Golfo di Marinella, close to the famous Porto Rotondo. The advice is to come down here. While the train already is standing we can ease a nice shot. Then - with the consolidated spirit of a trekker (...), even if you don't have chosen to take a bath! - we decide to cover the remaining 5 kilometers abandoning the road and following meter by meter the railroad. And it is worth the pain! After some hundred of meters after the stop of Cala Sabina an incredible show is opening in front of us: from the high of some hills we are high on the line with the background of the beautiful transparent water and in summer boats and beach scenes. From this point until shortly before entering in the suburbs of Golfo Aranci the line runs very close to the sea, with a tormented right of way and between small reliefs that allow always beautiful and different pictures. In some shots is possible including small island of Mortorio. The arrival to Golfo is without history: between popular buildings and factories it's hidden the station, characterized by the beautiful style and with penthouse in cast iron. The station seems a transit one, even if all the passenger runs finish here. In fact only the freights directed to the port continue beyond, until arresting in the wide yard that is south of the station and that finishes with a recovery and shunting track right above on the sea. From this freigth plant a short branch left in opposite direction, then divided in more other tracks; these lead to the 3 wharves with loading apparatuses and to another yard, located beside Via Libertà. The large square of the port is completely asphalted, so motor vehicles of every type could share the wharves with the railroad. The loading of the wagons on the ship - loaded inside using some tank or flat cars to gain some space before the loco - is work of a D.145, stablily assigned to Golfo. On the line as said only railcars circulate normally, but until just some years ago in the summer period many runs were replaced with loco hauled trains: D.443 + UIC X. Since all the Sardinian D.443s passed to the Cargo division, this service has stopped and it's preferred adding other dmus to that single one habitually works the line. Best seasons for a visit are Spring and Summer, with the exclusion of the month of August: the freights in that period could still be less if not zero... Now some images.