page_title: Brescia Metro
section_title: Construction
hierarchical_section_title: Brescia Metro / History / Construction
caption_attribution_description: Italiano: Il cantiere della costruenda stazione Volta all'arrivo della talpa.
context_page_description: The Brescia Metro is a light metro network serving Brescia, Lombardy, Italy. The network comprises a single line, having a length of 13.7 kilometres and a total of 17 stations from Prealpino to Sant´Eufemia-Buffalora, located respectively at the north and southeast of Brescia.
  During the 1980s, road congestion in the vicinity of Brescia rose dramatically, resulting in the City Council becoming interested in the adoption of a new mass transit platform to provide an alterative means of access around the city. Following studies of several mass transit systems, it was decided that the development of a light metro would be the most suitable option. During this time, several other European cities had introduced their own automated light metro networks, which likely provided a model for Brescia's transport planners. While efforts were made during the 1990s to secure funding and attempt to launch the project, the tendering process for the construction of the first section of the Metro was initiated in 2000.
context_section_description: The impetus for the establishment of a metro in the Brescia region has its origin during the 1980s, which was around the same time in which the first fully automatic light metro systems were being introduced at various other mid-size cities in Europe. During 1986, the City Council of Brescia was openly considering options for improving the city's transportation system in response to the rapid rise of road congestion in the region, which had in turn been generated with the increasing popularity of private motor vehicles amongst the populace. A pair of feasibility studies were commissioned during the following year; the introduction of various alternative transport systems, including the use of light rail, a metro system, and trolley buses, were thoroughly examined from both technical and commercial viewpoints. Eventually, these studies determined that the adoption of an automated light metro system was as the optimum technology to meet the city's requirements.
  During 1989, the first public tender for the establishment of such a system was announced. However, this project was ultimately cancelled in 1996. During 1994, the first application for public financing for the project was issued. Public financing from the central government was first issued during the following year, while other funds were made available during 2002 from the Lombardy region. During 2000, the tendering process for the construction of the automated metro was initiated by the city authorities. During that same year, it was publicly announced that bids, including those from international vendors, were being accepted for the first phase of the project.
  During April 2003, a €575 million contract was awarded to a consortium led by Ansaldo STS, which included AnsaldoBreda, Astaldi and Acciona, who proposed to implement a system that would be largely similar to the Copenhagen Metro. Under this arrangement, Ansaldo STS acted as the prime contactor for the metro's construction, bring primarily responsible for matters pertaining to the power supply and automatic train control systems, as well as for the supply of various other subsystems such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and telecommunication equipment. Of the other partners, Astaldi supervised the execution of the project's civil engineering, including the installation of electrical and mechanical systems, while AnsaldoBreda manufactured the rolling stock. Various information, planning, and other operational systems were supplied by IVU Traffic Technologies.
  During January 2004, construction work on the project commenced. However, following a series of archaeological discoveries, the majority of which having been found in the vicinity of the S.Faustino and Vittoria stations, some delays were encountered. Eventually, some aspects of the construction programme were redesigned, including some of the intended stations for the network, in order to reduce its exposure to the historically sensitive areas; consequently, the start of the metro services was eventually set back towards 2013. On 2 March 2013, the first line was officially opened.
caption: The site of Volta station in May 2006.
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