T3 Tram Line Construction Begins

 

A new tram line is under construction in Florence this year and is planned to be in operation by the end of 2026. Line T3 will link the south-east of the city to Piazza della Libertà, the northernmost point of Florence’s historic centre. The T3 line is just one of several tram works and expansions planned for 2025.

Line T3 will be developed in two sections: the Libertà – Bagno a Ripoli track, work on which began in January 2025, and the Libertà – Rovezzano track.

The Libertà – Bagno a Ripoli track is around 7.2km (4 and 1/2 mi) long and will have 17 stops, starting at the Piazza della Libertà and terminating in Bagno a Ripoli. 

The line will go down Viale Matteotti, run along the ring roads to Viale Giovine Italia,  and continue along the Lungarni Pecori Giraldi, del Tempio, and Cristoforo Colombo. It will cross the Verrazzano bridge and continue along Via Poggio Bracciolini, Viale Giannotti, Viale Europa and end at Bagno a Ripoli, close to Viola Park, the sports centre home to the ACF Fiorentina football team.

The 2007 Aggiuntivo Act entrusted Tram di Firenze spa with the design of line T3, and the project was approved two years later. The Definitive Project was then drawn up in 2018 and presented to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. State funding was approved for approximately €200 million.

The second phase of construction on the site for the T3 line began on Viale Matteotti on May 2, with further asphalting and resurfacing work currently taking place on Via Quintino Sella. 

From May 7, traction tests are scheduled on Viale Giovine Italia between 8 am and 8 pm. Parking restrictions will be in place in front of the State Archives, but there no measures planned on the roadway. 

There will also be a new line, 2.2, connecting the tram to the Castello railway station, allowing changes between trains and trams, and another line with a route through the old Leopolda-Cascine railway station, which should be completed at the same time as the T3 line. 

With 12.2km of new tram track being built, Florence leads the way in Italian cities expanding their tramlines, an initiative made possible thanks to PNRR funding in 2021. Trams additionally have great environmental benefits: Florence’s T1 line alone saves 5,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, according to Clean Cities Campaign. 

Florence’s tram system is already very popular: around 39 million people take the tram in Florence every year. The city already has two main tram lines: the T1 (Leonardo) and T2 (Vespucci). The T1 line connects the southern suburbs of Florence to the Santa Maria Novella central train station, continuing towards Careggi. The T2 line connects the central station to Florence Vespucci Airport, with a recent extension to Piazza San Marco. 

Both lines offer service every five minutes, and the T2 line provides a faster commute to the airport, taking around 20 minutes.  (Keziah McCann)