Trains to and from Forli Airport (FRL)

Forli is an Italian airport serving the towns of Forli and Cesena, as well as other areas in the Emilia-Romagna region of the country. It is only a small airport, but nonetheless considered as an important gateway. The airport is also known as the Luigi Ridolfi Airport, with the official code of FRL. It is well equipped with a variety of facilities, and the ground transport options include bus and taxi. There is no train station at the airport, but buses are able to provide transport for passengers who would like to reach the Forli Train Station. Trains from here are available to many locations.

Forli Airport has a single passenger terminal adequate in size to handle the few hundred thousand passengers which travel through it every year, and it’s facilities include shops and restaurants, a ticket office, information counters and cash machines. The terminal is also accessible to disabled passengers. The two airline companies of the airport are Wizz Air and Belle Air. From outside the arrival area, which is on the ground floor of the terminal, there is a taxi rank and bus stops for the airport buses. Most smaller Italian airports are not equipped with their own railway stations, but the buses available usually travel to the train stations in the nearby towns or cities. The same is the case at Forli Airport, as buses are available for arriving passengers to the Forli Train Station.

The airport buses are operated by the company AVM, and they are available a few times a day from the airport. Their times correspond to the arrival flights of the airport, and are therefore convenient for passengers. The current timetable of the buses should always be checked before their services are needed, as they could change if the airline schedules change. A ticket for the bus can be purchased from the driver of the vehicle, and a single ticket will cost around 3.50 Euro. Round-trip tickets are a bit more expensive, and are usually valid for ninety days. Single tickets may often be used for an hour or so after they are validated for the first time, and can be used for the city’s bus services. When purchasing bus tickets, small change or the exact amount would be helpful, as the driver may not be able to provide large amounts of change. Passengers will need to keep their ticket for the duration of the journey, with is about fifteen minutes to the Forli Train Station.

Taxis are also a very convenient way to reach the railway services of the country, and are available from the taxi rank in front of the airport building. A taxi journey to this location will cost 11.00 Euro for a vehicle carrying up to four passengers. This price will include luggage, but may be more if after 22:00 at night or before 06:00 in the morning. Larger vehicles will also be more expensive. A trip to the Bologna Central Railway Station will cost 115.00 Euro.

Forli Railway Station was first built and operational in September 1861, along with other stations and facilities for the Bologna-Forli section of the Bologna-Ancona railway line. Shortly thereafter, the line was extended to Rimini, allowing further connections. In later years it was decided to close the older station building and to create a new one, approximately 100 metres from the original building. This change took place in 1926, and was the work of engineer Enzo Bianchi.

The train station is located to the east of the city centre of Forli, at Piazzale Martiri d’Ungheria, and is managed by the company of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, or the RFI. The passenger building has a commercial area that is operated by the company Centostazioni, while the trains are run by Trenitalia. Both of these companies are a subsidiary of the FS, or the Ferrovie dello Stato, which is Italy’s state-owned rail company.

The passenger building of Forli Train Station has three levels, but only the ground floor is used by the public. It is a rectangular-shaped building consisting of three sections, and adjacent, is the station yard with three tracks. These three tracks are used for passenger services. Track one and two are on the main line, with number one dedicated to odd-numbered stopping trains heading south, and number two is dedicated to even-numbered stopping trains heading north. The third track of the station is mainly used for overtaking other trains, and is a loop siding. The platforms of the station are all undercover, and are connected by pedestrian underpasses. The other tracks of the station are used for goods services.

The types of trains available from Forli Station include regional, express, InterCity and Eurostar City services, and their main destinations include the Bologna Centrale Station, Ancona, Rimini, Milano Centrale and Piacenza. The journey to Bologna is about half an hour, and trains to this city are available approximately every thirty to forty minutes. The train station of Forli sees about 105 trains every day, and serves approximately 2.8 million passengers per year.

Although there is no train station at the airport, passengers will find the bus or taxi services to the station convenient, and an easy way to reach the railway services of the country. Further details are available at http://www.trenitalia.com, or passengers can contact the airport at +39 0543 474990.