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Catania is situated on the eastern shore of Sicily and has 370,000 inhabitants (700,000 in the metropolitan area)

The Metropolitana di Catania opened on 27 June 1999 between Borgo and Porto:

2024: 8.3 km, 12 stations, 1435 mm gauge

The metro initially ran underground between Borgo and Piazza Galatea, then on the surface on a single-track line along the coast to the Catania Centrale railway station (FS) and further south to the harbour (Porto). The underground alignment actually replaced a surface route built in 1895.

Finally, in December 2016, an underground branch was completed to serve the city centre at Stesicoro. While the former stop at the railway station was permanently closed (now served by Giovanni XXIII station), the single-track branch to Porto may reopen one day.

The Metropolitana is operated by Ferrovia Circumetnea which also runs a narrow-gauge diesel line from Borgo westwards around the Etna volcano and back to the coast at Riposto (113 km). After the urban section had already been abandoned and replaced by the Metro in the 1990s, the suburban section from Borgo to Paternò also ceased operating on 15 June 2024 to allow for the future extension of the Metro.

27 June 1999: Borgo - Porto
20 Dec 2016: Galatea - Stesicoro
31 March 2017: Borgo - Nesima (3.1 km)
27 July 2021: + Cibali
22 July 2024: Nesima - Monte Po (1.3 km)

 Projects

From Stesicoro the line will eventually reach the airport in the south of the city.

From the original terminus at Borgo, a western extension is under construction via Misterbianco to Paternò. Eventually it will replace the surface alignment of the Circumetnea.

FCE - Ferrovia Circumetnea (Official Site)

AMT- Azienda Municipale di Trasporti

Catania Mobilità

CityRailways Italian Metro News

Metropolitana di Catania by Andrea Tartaglia

Metro Catania at Wikipedia.it