Parma–La Spezia railway

Work on the construction of the line, financed by the Baccarini law,[8] began in 1879, and the whole line was completed in 1894. Three years later a link was built from Santo Stefano di Magra to Sarzana to facilitate traffic.[6]

Almost entirely single track, the line was immediately equipped with a second track through the pass section, where the line runs through the most difficult country. The section comprising the pass tunnel (Borgallo tunnel, 7,972 metres-long) and the steep section between Grondola-Guinadi and Pontremoli (with grades of 2.0% in the tunnel and 2.5% in the open sections) were immediately doubled.

In 1931, the line was electrified with the three-phase AC system at 3600 V and 16.67 Hz; during the Second World War it suffered heavy damage, due to its high strategic value as an access route to the Po Valley. The gradual conversion of the line to 3000 V DC electrification, which had already started in 1937, was completed in late 1949, following the electrification of the Milan–Bologna railway, which made it worthwhile to electrify the neighbouring lines including the Parma–Fornovo and Fornovo–Fidenza lines on the same system.[9]

The line, which was originally built as single track except for the Borgo Val di Taro–Pontremoli section, has been undergoing duplication since the 1980s with the construction of track at new locations with better grades and geometry.

The line modernisation project dates back to a financial appropriation under the Piano integrativo ("integration plan") of 1981.

View of the unused section between Ponzano Magra and Sarzana on the short branch from Santo Stefano di Magra-Sarzana

By 1996, duplication had been completed only on the section from Vezzano Ligure to Santo Stefano di Magra.

On 22 May 1996, the double track deviation between Solignano and Berceto was opened, almost entirely in tunnel. The opening of the new line involved the closure of Valmozzola station.[1]

The new La Spezia Marittima freight yard was opened in 2003.

On 11 September 2005, the double track on the Santo Stefano di Magra–Chiesaccia crossing loop[10] section, connecting with the Lucca–Aulla railway, was opened in 2008.[11]

This work also involved moving the southern link with the Tyrrhenian line northwards, leading to the closure to traffic of the single track section between Santo Stefano di Magra and Sarzana opened on 9 August 1897,[6] including Ponzano Magra station. Consequently, Sarzana has not been a terminus of the line since the early 2000s. The double track junction is now located near Arcola station. The northern link, originally located near Vezzano Ligure station has been moved north as a result of the addition of a track dedicated to the Parma–La Spezia traffic, which runs parallel to the Genoa–Pisa railway from Vezzano Ligure to La Spezia Migliarina.

Work was completed on doubling the Solignano–Fornovo section in 2014.[12]

As of 2011, final planning was underway for the doubling of the remaining sections:[12]

• Berceto–Chiesaccia, with the completion of the link with the Lucca–Aulla railway, part of which had already started with the doubling of earlier years;
• Osteriazza–Parma.

Under a decree of 5 July 2020, funds of €78 million have been allocated, which will be followed by a second tranche of an additional €92 million, totalling €170 million, to finance the upgrade of the line and completion of the doubling of the Parma–Vicofertile section by 2032.[13][14]

• Carboncini, Adriano Betti (July–August 1988). "Nuova vita per la Pontremolese (part 1)". I Treni Oggi (in Italian) (84).
• Carboncini, Adriano Betti (September 1988). "Nuova vita per la Pontremolese (part 2)". I Treni Oggi (in Italian) (85).
• Carboncini, Adriano Betti (1994). La Spezia e la Pontremolese. Ferrovia Parma La Spezia (in Italian). Cortona: Calosci. ISBN 88-7785-090-6.
• Morando, Ennio (2002). Ricordi di rotaie. Nodi, linee, costruzioni e soppressioni in Italia dal 1839 ai giorni nostri. Volume secondo nodi principali & nodi complementari (in Italian). Padova: Il Prato. ISBN 88-87243-43-3.
• Passarelli, Pasquale (2001). Liguria (in Italian). Istituto Enciclopedico Italiano s.r.l. ISBN 88-87983-11-9.
• RFI, ed. (December 2003). Fascicolo Linea 99 (Genova-La Spezia) e 100 (Vezzano-Parma) (in Italian). Rete Ferroviaria Italiana.
• La Spezia-Parma la ferrovia tra il Mediterraneo e l'Europa. Mostra storico-documentaria, Pontremoli luglio-settembre 1991 (in Italian). Ameglia: Zolesi. 1991.
• Atti parlamentari dello Senato (in Italian). 9. Parlamento Italiano. 1913.
• Atlante ferroviario d'Italia e Slovenia [Railway atlas of Italy and Slovenia]. Schweers + Wall. 2010. ISBN 978-3-89494-129-1.