Introduction
The Parenzana or in short the TPC (Trieste-Parenzo-Canfanaro) was a 123.1 km long narrow-gauge railway line connecting 33 Istrian towns from Trieste to Poreč. Today it would pass through the territory of three countries, namely 13 km in Italy, 32 km in Slovenia and 78 km in Croatia.
Technical Data
| Total length |
123,1 km |
| Track gauge |
760 mm |
| Number of railway stations and stops |
35 |
| The lowest point |
2 m above sea level (in Trieste and Koper) |
| The highest point |
293 above sea level (near Grožnjan) |
| Number of curves |
604 |
| Number of tunnels |
9 |
| Number of bridges |
11 |
| Number of viaducts |
6 |
| Average speed |
25 km/h |
| The highest speed |
31 km/h |
| Length of cars |
8,5 m |
| Number of seats in passenger cars |
30 |
| Trajanje putovanja od Trsta do Poreča |
6-7 h |
| Commencement of construction |
1900 |
| Opening of the railway line |
1902 |
| Last train operated on |
31 August 1935 |
Construction
The construction of 123 kilometres long and 76 cm wide narrow-gauge railway line started in 1990, including eight tunnels in the total length of 1,530 m, eleven bridges, six viaducts and a number of railway stations, stops, warehouses, water supply stations, embankments and cuttings. The works were carried out in two phases: the section from Trieste to Buje (59 km) was finished by April 1902, and the section from Buje to Poreč (64) km by December 1902. This bold venture was finished in a record two years, which is a great achievement even by modern standards.
Name
The little train was given the name of Parenzana merely by chance in February 1902 when a note on the construction of the first section of the railway line to Buje was published in the State Railways Journal in Trieste, pointing out that the railway line, which they called “Parenzaner”, would nevertheless reach Poreč. Thus, the name has remained to date in its Italian version of “Parenzana”.
T.P.C.
Projects existed for the Savudrija–Umag and Poreč–Kanfanar extensions, which were never realised; however, the “TPS” mark, standing for Trieste–Parenzo–Canfanaro, was chiselled on kilometre stones along the route.
Train
In the beginning, the U-series steam locomotives were used, later on the P-series and finally the Italian P-series. There were passenger cars (30 seats), freight cars and baggage cars. All cars were 8.5 mm long. Passenger cars were lit by paraffin oil lamps; they had no toilets, but they had balconies.
The end of operation
The Parenzana railway operated under two regimes. It survived the First World War and after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was taken over by Italy. After only 33 years of operation, the last train ran on 31 August 1835, as the railway could no longer compete with faster and cheaper road transport. The entire rolling stock was sold on auction to other Italian railways and finally also the rails were dismounted.
Legend
The legend says that rails were loaded on a ship to Abyssinia, but never reached Africa as the ship sunk somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea.
Curiosities
At the steepest section, all passengers had to disembark the train and push it. In slower parts, passengers could jump off the train to pick fruit from many orchards along the route. There were always many stowaways on the train. The young could jump off the train and get on it again when the danger of ticket control passed.
Accidents
The railway planners, who were from the interior of Austria-Hungary, did not know well the local climatic conditions and the activity of the sea. Consequently, the train derailed several times. A tragic accident occurred near Muggia in 1910 when very strong gusts of bora caused a derailment. Three people were killed and many wounded. Another derailment at Muggia, also caused by the gusts of bora, happened in 1916. Later, in order to prevent such accidents, windbreaks or wind-protection screens were set up in many places
