Last year, on the 18th March, the Pisa Mover, a cable-rail shuttle service connecting Pisa central station with Pisa airport and replacing the former conventional electric rail service, was inaugurated. It cost almost 72 million euros. Of this amount public finance contributed 21 million.

As with most new transportation systems there have been both praises and complaints regarding the new service.

First the complaints:

1. It’s expensive! A ticket costs Euros 2.70 to travel just over a mile. To compare prices and distance: a ticket from Bagni di Lucca to Pisa Central station covers a distance of 22 miles and costs Euros 5.60 This means that if the Pisa mover ticket cost were applied to the rail journey from Bagni di Lucca to Pisa central that ticket would cost almost 60 Euros!

Why is the ticket from Pisa central station to the airport so expensive? The answer is obvious: the ticket price has to cover the cost of financing the project. Whether the number of passengers using the Pisa mover will be able to recoup the cost even at this price is a moot point. It’s been estimated that ten million passengers annually must use the system for financial solvency but the current number is rarely above eight million.

2. Walking distance to and from the interchanges at Pisa central and Pisa airport is longer creating possible difficulties for less able passengers. It’s a far cry from the formerly quick interchange to Florence or Rome trains from Pisa Central station.
3. The system wasn’t really necessary. There was a previous rail service and when that was removed the temporary shuttle bus cost Euros 1.20 – less than half the present amount – and continued all the way to the famous leaning tower!
4. Since the new cable-train system is incompatible with conventional rail systems all passengers must change trains and there can be no expansion of the Pisa mover for direct services to Florence and Rome from the airport.
5. The Pisa mover is actually slower than any of the old systems, taking 8 minutes for the transit. The old conventional train system took 5 minutes and the shuttle bus 6 minutes…
6. It’s not possible to buy on-line direct tickets to the airport from Bagni di Lucca. One needs to have some convenient cash to purchase an extra ticket at Pisa central station and, again, wages have to be paid for special assistants there to help passengers purchase tickets because of somewhat confusing auto-ticket dispensers.
7. There are fewer seats on the new trains. Thankfully it’s a short journey.
8. There was a corruption scandal and criminal investigation into the Pisamover construction company which was subsequently disestablished.

Second, the praises.

1. The Pisa mover has a frequency of 12 new trains per hour instead of the old trains, which were 2 per hour and the shuttle bus which was 7 journeys per hour. However, one must remember that the old trains had greater passenger carrying capacity.
2. There is an intermediate stop at Via di Goletta Navicelli for the additional car park.
3. The Pisa mover is of interest to railway anoraks because of the cable transportation system involved. They can have great fun in taking photos and writing down rolling stock numbers.
4. Can’t think of any other.

So there you have it. At least with the Pisa Mover I haven’t yet come across the chaos which ensues when London’s Piccadilly line has to cater for both rush-hour commuters and Heathrow airport passengers.