EAV presents its new Stadler trains and the new Vesuvian line timetable at Porta Nolana.

Naples – After years of waiting, delays, and chronic inconvenience, the Circumvesuviana returns to the center of the institutional scene. Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 16, at 10:30 a.m., at the EAV station in Naples Porta Nolana, Ente Autonomo Volturno will present the new trains for the Vesuvian lines and the new operating timetable.

The company and the Campania Region intend to mark this event as a turning point, at least in terms of communications, after a summer marked by breakdowns, interruptions, and commuter protests. Speakers will include Regional President Roberto Fico, Vice President for Transport Mario Casillo, and EAV CEO Pietro Diamantini. Massimiliano Manfredi, President of the Regional Council, will also be present.

The chosen setting is no coincidence: Porta Nolana is the historic terminus of the Vesuvian lines, recently undergoing a restyling, and the ideal starting point to showcase the Stadler trains that are due to replace, in stages, the oldest material on the narrow-gauge network.

The new vehicles, the ETR 300s built in the Valencia factories, are electric trains with three aluminum bodies, approximately 41 meters long, with a capacity of approximately 377 passengers (90 seats), numerous doors for faster boarding, USB sockets, more space for luggage and an on-board defibrillator.

The first unit entered commercial service at the end of July on the Volla-Baiano route, after months of testing and authorization from ANSFISA. The stated goal is to have around ten trains in service by the end of 2026, gradually increasing to the 56 already funded, with deliveries scheduled through 2027. At the same time, the Region has already allocated resources for an additional batch of trains, believing that fleet renewal alone will not be enough to cover the traffic volumes lost over the years.

The new timetable will also be a central focus of the presentation. Diamantini, who took office in mid-July, had anticipated a schedule change for September-October, particularly on the Naples-Sorrento line, and an acceleration of the introduction of new trains. For commuters on the other routes—Baiano, Sarno, Poggiomarino, and San Giorgio—the issue is sensitive: committees have already raised concerns in recent days that the improvements (more services, shorter journeys, more modern equipment) will remain concentrated on the tourist line, leaving the other lines with reduced schedules and insufficient frequencies.

The Porta Nolana event therefore comes at a time when EAV must balance two needs: demonstrate that the train rotation has finally begun and convince those who use the Vesuviana line every day for work and school that the new timetable will not be a two-speed system. Those responses should be made public tomorrow, starting at 10:30 a.m.