Carrara-Avenza railway station

Carrara-Avenza railway station, also known simply as Carrara or Avenza, is a railway station of the city of Carrara, Italy. It is located on the Genova-Pisa line. It is the only station serving the Tuscan city, after the closure of Carrara San Martino in 1969.

History
The station was opened on December 26, 1862, with the name of "Avenza", as part of the railway section between Sarzana and Massa.

On September 10, 1866, the station became a branch point of a short connection with Carrara (Carrara San Martino Station) of 4.5 km. In 1876 the Private Marble Railway of Carrara was opened so 6 more platforms were installed and available to the marble traffic.

On May 20, 1915, in the underpass road Viale XX Settembre, in the immediate vicinity of the station, began to pass convoys of the electric tramway for the connection to the fraction of Marina: 6.3 km long the tramway was electrified at direct voltage of 600 V, the line had the standard gauge of 1,445 mm. The tram service was definitively suppressed in 1955 for the installation of a trolleybus.

In 1939 the station, then called "Carrara-Avenza," took on the new name of "Apuania Carrara" with the institution of the municipality of Apuania; the previous name was restored in the 1949, with the abolition of the former municipality first mentioned in 1946.

The traffic coming from the marble railway definitively ceased with its suppression, which occurred on May 15, 1964. The elimination of the branch with Carrara San Martino dates back to February 28, 1969. In June 2012 the platforms used for the movement of marble goods were removed.

With the decline of freight traffic, RFI decided the transformation from station to halt, starting December 2012.

Overview
The station has two platforms for passenger transport. Until June 2012 it had a third that was used for trains from Firenze Santa Maria Novella. With this third there were also another six for freight trains that, among other things, since 1964 doesn't stop anymore at the station.

The two shelters that it owns are connected by an underpass.

Passenger building
The passenger building is composed of a single body with rectangular plan. To the east of PB, there is a small garden of the 20th century characterized by the presence of trees such as pines and firs and a large palm that is there from the opening of the station, there are also two fountains, a little to drink and a big. Both do not work anymore.

Railway view

 * Track 1: the main track for trains to Pisa. To La Spezia are also present some railway switches that allow trains to switch from track 1–2;
 * Track 2: the main track for trains to La Spezia. This track in particular had a connection with the track 3;
 * Track 3: it was used mainly used for trains from Firenze SMN terminal that were in the station. This deeper, towards La Spezia, ended with a bumper and right behind that there is a similar structure or a toll booth;
 * Tracks 4-5-6-7-8: they were work tracks all branched from a single platform from the second railway bridge in the direction of Carrara San Martino of the closed Avenza-Carrara railway. The track 8 was not equipped with electrification unlike the other 4.
 * Separated goods track: it was a track to the right looking towards Pisa. Until the 2004 it had also the electrification and a light signal. In 2005 it was deprived of both. It was finally removed with the other trunk binaries in 2012. This track was also used in the past by the Marmifera railway for connection to the port of Marina di Carrara. In 2008 it was paved with the lengthening of the shelter;

All the tracks 3-4-6 and the separated goods track were removed in June 2012.

Services
The station, that in 2007 was frequented by an average of 1,000 people a day, can offer services such as:


 * Feature ticket office inv 2.svg Ticket machine
 * Aiga ticketpurchase inv.svg Tickets at door
 * Aiga waitingroom inv.svg Waiting room
 * Aiga parking inv.svg Parking
 * Aiga coffeeshop inv.svg Bar
 * Aiga stairs down inv.svg Underpass
 * News.svg Newsstand
 * Aiga toilets inv.svg Bathroom
 * Aiga restaurant inv.svg Restaurant
 * Aiga telephone inv.svg Public telephone
 * Aiga taxi inv.svg Taxi stop
 * Aiga bus inv.svg ATN autobus lines stop
 * Symbole AMP Vélo.svg Bicycles parking
 * CCTV surveillance camera.svg Video security
 * Speaker Icon.svg Speaker for trains arrivals, transits and departures