Figure 6. - The heavy black lines in the Allied occupied part of Italy indicate the railway lines in operation and railheads in use at 10 April 1945. The heavy broken line shows the front line position.
[Railway reconstruction Italy 1943-1946 published by Royal Engineers, 1946]
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Chapter II
DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES
Section II.
Railway construction in relation to the campaign as a whole
6. - Preparation for the Spring Offensive, 1945.
On 1st February, railheads were working at Montecatini on Line 218 and Forlì on Line 86. Arezzo on Line 65 was also, still in use. Work on the Prato-Bologna line was proceeding according to plan, against a completion date of 15 May to railhead at Grizzana, the most forward station in our hands. 5th Army badly needed the use of a railhead at Florence before any offensive could begin on the Bologna front.
The significance of failure to open the Serravalle tunnel was obvious. Therefore the situation was reviewed, and the decisions taken:
i) to open Line 219 Pisa-Empoli-Florence;
ii) to give up any hope of a quick solution to the Serravalle tunnel, and to tackle the repair as a tunnelling job.
A.F.H.Q. allotted two engineer battalions for work under M.R.S. direction on Line 219. The decision meant that serious inroads would have to be made on the stocks of U.C.R.B. spans. In fact, this aspect had been one of the main reasons for the original choice of Line 218 as the Pisa-Florence-Prato link. The Serravalle tunnel was taken over by 61 Tunnelling Coy., S.A.E.C. from 1212 Group.
Meantime, the front was completely static. 1212 Group moved to the Ancona-Ortona section of Line 86 to boost progress on the repairs already commenced by civilian contractors, and 1 and 4 (Indian) Groups went to work to double Line 86 throughout from Ancona to Forlì. These plans were designed to result in the maximum possible rail service to both the 5th and 8th Armies at the commencement of the Spring campaign. Line 219 was opened very rapidly, and rail connections were established from Pisa to the 5th Army railhead at Florence, and Prato Station, on April 1st. The Ancona-Forlì doubling was completed by 10th April.
Figure 6. - The heavy black lines in the Allied occupied part of Italy indicate the railway lines in operation and railheads in use at 10 April 1945. The heavy broken line shows the front line position.
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[Railway reconstruction Italy 1943-1946 published by Royal Engineers, 1946]
