News in 2002

January 8, 2002: Repubblica reporters visit station Dante (Linea1): alomst ready to enter service (see press release, press release and press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

January 10, 2002: start of second phase to build Garibaldi station (Linea1) (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

January 15, 2002: start of second phase to build Universita' station (Linea1) (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica, or see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

January 17, 2002: Linea6 working area opens at Piazza della Repubblica (Arco Mirelli station) (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

February 7, 2002: station Salvator Rosa, designed by Mendini, gets "The Prince and the Architect" award by Comune di Bologna at Europolis 2002 (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

February 7, 2002: a citizen committee raises doubts on Linea6 design (see press releases 1, 2, 3 and 4 - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

February 13, 2002: Bassolino (President of Regione Campania) announces that station Dante (Linea1) opens by end of March and that in early May the pedestrian connection tunnel between stations Museo (Linea1) and Cavour (Linea2) opens (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

February 13, 2002: presentation of Napoli-Artecard, a 60-hour ticket to enter neapolitan museums and to use all transport means in the city (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

February 15, 2002: Cipe Government Committee funds 219 billion Liras for Linea6 (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

February 16, 2002: Linea6 designers state its safety (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

February 16, 2002: Linea6: sindacates and committee argue about its utility (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

February 19, 2002: station Dante (Linea1) opens on March 28, 2002 with the presence of the President of the Republic of Italy Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and of the Minister for Infrastructures and Transports Pietro Lunardi (see press release n.1 - in Italian - from La Repubblica, and press release n.2 - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

March 5, 2002: opening of station Dante (Linea1) has been advanced to March, 27 2002 (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

March 11, 2002: A group of people living in Pianura (Via Vicinale Campanile) say that track doubling for Linea5 is damaging their houses (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

March 15, 2002: announced increase in ticket prices: single fare will rise from 0.77 to 1 euro, daily pass to 2.50 (2.00 on Saturdays and Sundays), week-end pass (Saturday+Sunday) to 3.50, weekly pass to 9, monthly pass to 26 and yearly pass to 260 euros (see press release 1 - in Italian - from La Repubblica or press release 2 - in Italian from Il Mattino).

March 16, 2002: Naples Council Board has approved the increase in public trasport fares. Expected starting date: end of April - begin of May (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino). Read comments by citizens and politicians of minority - in Italian - from Il Mattino.

March 17, 2002: Disagreements within majority about transport fares increase (see press release 1 and press release 2 - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

March 17, 2002: station Dante (Linea1): start of tests for trains, lifts and escalators (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

March 19, 2002: Enrico Cardillo, Responsible for Finance at Comune di Napoli, gives reasons for fares increase (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

March 19, 2002: Consumers Associations declare they will oppose fares increase at Tar (Regione Campania Court of Justice) (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

March 20, 2002: On-line opinion survey by Repubblica - Napoli: is the proposed fares increase reasonable? Vote/See results.

March 21, 2002: at end of works for station Dante (Linea1) the statue representing Dante Alighieri is set again at the centre of the Square (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

March 22, 2002: download the 2002-2004 Triennial Program for Public Works of Comune di Napoli (in PDF version, in Italian). Contains also description of metro works plan for next three years and cost estimates, and 2002 list of metro works. It was approved by Giunta municipale (City Government) on February 22, 2002, and is currently being examined for approval by Consiglio comunale (City Parliament). The original is here (from the site of Comune di Napoli).

March 22, 2002: positive outcome of test rides for whole section Vanvitelli - Dante of Linea1 (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

March 27, 2002: station Dante (Linea 1) starts service (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

March 28, 2002: start of new ticket fares delayed (see press release in Italian - from La Repubblica).

March 30, 2002: approved the feasibility study for railway-metro interchange system at Garibaldi Square - see the map (see press release 1 - in Italian - from La Repubblica, and press release 2 - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

April 5, 2002: Board of Regione Campania has approved the plan for design and funding of rail and metro systems in Campania for a total amount of 3,800 million euros by 2010 (see official news - in Italian - by Regione Campania, or press release 1 - in Italian - from Il Mattino, or press release 2 - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

April 20, 2002: Il Mattino reports on state of works for Linea6 (see press release - in Italian).

April 23, 2002: escalators connecting station Vanvitelli (Linea1) and station Morghen (Montesanto Cable-car) about to enter service (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

April 23, 2002: Rocco Papa (ViceMayor of Naples) presents the Project "Area Est" (Naples Eastern Area) which includes the extension of Linea2 to San Giovanni (this station will be deeply improved) and announces a train frequency of six minutes (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

April 2002: second exit of station Salvator Rosa (Linea1) has entered service: it serves Piazza Leonardo area.

May 7, 2002: foreign press visits the "art stations" of Linea1 (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

May 30, 2002: Il Mattino describes (in Italian) the new arrangement of station Rione Alto (Linea1).

June 1, 2002: with the presence of the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi, the pedestrian connection tunnel between stations Museo (Linea1) and Cavour (Linea2) has entered service: 330 meters and two tapis roulants (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

June 16: integrated regional metro system "Metropolitana Campania" (MetroCampania) starts service. It includes FS, Circumvesuviana, Alifana, Metronapoli and Sepsa, which will have an integrated timetable on 21 lines (see official poster) (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

June 16: integrated regional metro system "Metropolitana Campania" starts service. It includes FS, Circumvesuviana, Alifana, Metronapoli and Sepsa, which will have an integrated timetable (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

June 23, 2002: Felice Laudadio, ANM Chairman, claims the need to increase ticke fares (see press release 1 and press release 2 - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

June 24, 2002: Enrico Cardillo, Responsible for Finance at Comune di Napoli, announces the will to increase single ticket fare to one euro (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

July 1, 2002: page 424 of Televideo Campania is since today dedicated to provide information on Napolipass (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

July 1, 2002: Chiaia Cablecar closes due to works at Via Cimarosa station. It will open on September 6 (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica and press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

July 3, 2002: Workers'Syndicates disagree with Assessore Cascetta on the new train timetable and ask him to modify it (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica and press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

July 13, 2002: differently from previously announced, the President of the Camera dei Deputati Pier Ferdinando Casini will not be able to participate in opening of second exit at station Rione Alto (Linea1) (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

July 13-14-15, 2002: disagreements on art works placed in station Rione Alto (Linea1) (see press release 1 and press release 2 - in Italian - from Il Mattino, and press release 3 - in Italian - from La Repubblica).

July 16, 2002: the worldwide known British newspaper The Times dedicates a very positive reportage to Naples metro (see here and write "Naples" in the "Search this site" area (top left), or read local copy).

July 17, 2002: La Repubblica - Napoli and Il Mattino report on the article in The Times (see press release - in Italian - from La Repubblica and press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

July 17, 2002: MetroCampania gets one month old: 5% increase in number of passengers (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

July 18, 2002: La Repubblica describes the new areas of station Rione Alto (Linea1) (see press release - in Italian).

July 19, 2002: the section Garibaldi - Centro Direzionale of Napoli - Baiano line of Circumvesuviana will be closed due to metro works from tomorrow until August 30 (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

August 3, 2002: the "Stations of Art" of Naples Metro are shown at the "Biennale di Venezia" (biannual exhibition of modern art held in Venice, Italy) (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

August 8, 2002: the section Vanvitelli - Dante of Linea1 will be closed due to metro works until September 6 (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

August 9, 2002: opening of new exits at station Rione Alto postponed until September (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

August 9, 2002: ticket vending machines accept only exact fare (0,77 euros) (see press release 1 and press release 2 - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

August 23, 2002: young artists' works to be replaced by famous artists' ones at Rione Alto station (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

August 24, 2002: young artists protest about Rione Alto station affair (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

August 27, 2002: reverse facility between stations Museo e Dante of Linea1 has been completed. Vanvitelli - Dante section opens on September 6 (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

August 31, 2002: works completed, the section Garibaldi - Centro Direzionale of Napoli - Baiano line of Circumvesuviana
opens today (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

September 7, 2002: section Vanvitelli - Dante of Linea1 opened upon work completion (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

September 17, 2002: decision about ticket fare increase from 0.77 to 1.00 euro will be very likely taken on September 27 (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

September 21, 2002: Comune di Genova representatives and Metropolitana di Genova technicians visit Linea1 (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

October 16, 2002: escalator-based path connecting Montesanto cablecar station and Vanvitelli station (Linea1) enters service (see press release 1 and press release 2 - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

November 2, 2002: signed agreement between Regione Campania and Italian Government on a two billion euro basis: fundings, among other things, for completions of Linea1, Linea 6 and Linea 7 (see news 1 and news 2 - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

November 4, 2002: more details on fundings (see news - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

November 4, 2002: interview with Roberti, representative of Ansaldo Trasporti, about scheduled opening dates for several sections of Linea 6 (see news - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

November 15, 2002: vice-mayor Rocco Papa announces opening (probably on December 8) of second tunnel of Dante - Vanvitelli section (Linea1), end of shuttle service, and train frequency increase (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

November 30, 2002: Italian InterMinisterial Committee for Economic Programming (CIPE) funds 90 million euros to complete new Alifana line; also section Piscinola - Aeroporto of Linea1 has achieved fundings (see press release 1 and press release 2 - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

December 11, 2002: section Garibaldi - Aeroporto of Linea1 will be ready not earlier than 2005 (see news - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

December 11, 2002: new stations Botteghelle and Poggioreale (Linea 3) open in early 2003 and track doublings on sections Garibaldi - Botteghelle and San Giorgio - Volla of Linea 3 get completed (see news - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

December 12, 2002: announced an increase from 550 to 650 million euros in fundings for further works in Linea1 stations: two more exits will be realized at Piazza del Gesu' and at Largo Montecalvario (connected by means of tapis roulants to stations Dante and Toledo respectively), and a museum will be created in station Municipio (see news #1 and news #2 - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

December 12, 2002: a 400 million euro funding announced for Linea 6: related works will start from station Municipio.
(see news - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

December 14, 2002: second tunnel of section Vanvitelli - Dante (Linea1) has entered service, with end of shuttle service on the section, and end of compulsory train change at Vanvitelli, (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

December 14, 2002: third exit of station Salvator Rosa (Linea1) in use: it serves Via Battistello Caracciolo - Cesarea area (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

December 14, 2002: second exit is open at Rione Alto station (Linea1) (see press release - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

December 18, 2002: two agreement documents signed to speed up Linea 6 works, and to open section Politecnico - Mergellina by end 2004 (see news - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

December 18, 2002: Ministry for Infrastructures and Regione Campania have signed a 760 million euros agreement for metro works in Campania (see news - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

December 28, 2002: ticket fare increase announced to take place in March 2003 (single ticket: 1 euro) (see news - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

December 28, 2002: Interministerial Committee for Programming in Economics (CIPE) has funded 125 million euros for Dante - Centro Direzionale section of Linea1 (see news - in Italian - from Il Mattino).

December 29, 2002: officially presented project for station Cilea of Linea5 and Linea7; it will be 100 metres deep, the deepest station on Earth (see news - in Italian - from Il Mattino).
For a drawing of interchange node project, please click here (copyright: Il Mattino).


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