Taranto railway station is situated at Piazza della Libertà, at the end of Via Duca d'Aosta. It is a short distance to the north west of the Ponte di Porta Napoli, the bridge over the natural channel between Taranto's Mar Grande and its Mar Piccolo.
The station is linked with the city centre by a combination of the Ponte di Porta Napoli, the Isola del Borgo Antico, and the Ponte di San Francesco di Paola, or Ponte Girevole (English: Swing Bridge), a well known symbol of Taranto. The latter bridge spans the artificial channel between the Mar Grande and the Mar Piccolo.
History
The station was opened on 15 September 1868, upon the inauguration of the Gioia del Colle–Taranto section of the Bari–Taranto railway.[1]
Until the late nineteenth century, Taranto was an important railway junction for traffic in foodstuffs and timber from Calabria and Sicily to the Adriatic and the north. Its importance waned after the opening of the Southern Tyrrhenian railway, which diverted most of this traffic via Salerno and Naples.
The design of the passenger building is influenced by architectural styles that were in vogue in the mid-nineteenth century. It therefore consists of a two-storey central structure with a central clock tower, and two wings extending laterally for form one elevation.
Most train services are operated by Trenitalia. Services on the Bari–Martina Franca–Taranto railway are the exception. They are operated by Ferrovie del Sud Est (FSE).
High speed services (Frecciabianca) Milan - Parma - Bologna - Ancona - Pescara - Foggia - Bari - Taranto
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