Rimini–Novafeltria railway

Rimini–Novafeltria railway
A steam train at Corpolò railway station
Overview
Other name(s)Rimini–Mercatino Marecchia railway (until 1941)
Native nameFerrovia Rimini–Novafeltria
StatusDismantled
Locale
Termini
Stations18
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)
  • Società Anonima delle Ferrovie e Tramvie Padane (1916–32)
  • Gestione Governativa Ferrovie Padane (1932–60)
History
Opened
  • 21 June 1916 (1916-06-21) (Rimini–Verucchio)
  • 1921 (1921) (Verucchio–San Marino-Torello)
  • 18 June 1922 (1922-06-18) (San Marino-Torello–Mercatino Marecchia)
Closed15 October 1960 (1960-10-15)
Technical
Line length33.23 km (20.65 mi)
Number of tracks1
Track gauge950 mm (3 ft 1+38 in)
Highest elevation256 m (840 ft)
Route map

km
Metromare to Rimini Fiera (planned)
Bologna–Ancona railway
Ferrara–Rimini railway
0.0
Rimini Centrale/Rimini
5
1.3
Rimini Porta Montanara
8
3.7
Fornaci
13
5.5
Spadarolo
21
7.3
Vergiano
32
8.6
Casale Sarzana
39
10.1
Sant'Ermete
47
11.6
Corpolò
61
13.9
Villa Verucchio
87
17.8
Verucchio
147
Santarcangelo–Urbino railway (never built)
19.0
Dogana
20.6
San Marino-Torello
158
22.6
Pietracuta
166
Torrente Mazzocco
Santarcangelo–Urbino railway (never built)
23.6
Bivio San Leo
26.2
Ponte Santa Maria Maddalena
185
28.9
Secchiano
217
31.8
Talamello-Campiano
33.2
Novafeltria
256

The Rimini–Novafeltria railway was a narrow-gauge railway between Rimini and Novafeltria, known as Mercatino Marecchia until 1941, that operated between 1922 and 1960.

The railway's primary purpose was to transport sulphur from the mines of Perticara to Rimini, from where it could be transported by sea or along the Bologna–Ancona railway. Sixteen intermediate passenger stops served settlements along the Marecchia valley, including Verucchio and Talamello. The trains were slow and the route was considered dangerous, skirting Rimini's historic city walls and running adjacent to the SP258 provincial road. On 15 October 1960, the railway was closed and replaced with a coach service.

The railway was intended to intersect with the Santarcangelo–Urbino railway railway project, abandoned in 1933. Except for the years of operation of the Rimini–San Marino railway (1932–44), a station in Torello provided the closest railway connection to San Marino, albeit in Italian territory. The railway was featured in Scartamento ridotto (1952), an early documentary by Sergio Zavoli, which explored local views about the replacement of the railway's steam engine with oil-powered railcars.