The French branch of Italy’s national rail operator Trenitalia wants to run two tourist trains from the Ligurian Coast to the French Riviera.
One of these rail connections would follow the Mediterranean coast and the second would run along France’s La Ligne des Merveilles (Line of Wonders) in the Roya Valley.
The announcement was made by representatives of Trenitalia France at a conference organised by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes department). “Tremitalia is looking to the Côte d’Azur, particularly for tourist services,” said Marco Capusciutti, the new president of Trenitalia France. The Italian state-owned operator is already running trains on the Paris-Lyon-Milan route from December 2021.
Through a new company called Treni turistici italiani (Italian Tourist Trains), the operator hopes to relaunch a rail link between Milan (Italy) and Nice (France) and even further afield with tourist destinations. The project focuses, when technically possible, on reopening the rail link between Milan and the Côte d’Azur, perhaps even to Marseille or, who knows, one day perhaps to Avignon,” added Luigi Cantamessa, general manager of Treni turistici italiani.
Plans for a tourist train as early as this summer
In mid-January, Cantamessa announced that a night train to France would be introduced in May, but in the meantime the dates have changed.
Now the company boss says the offer will most likely be implemented this summer, with a pair of trains a day Milan-Marseilles, but it is not yet known how much the ticket will cost. The Italian company said it will not be a Frecciarossa train, but “a conventional rolling stock bearing the FS Treni Turistici Italiani brand”.
The rail link will be opened in collaboration with SNCF, France’s state rail operator. The new Ligurian Riviera tourist trains could be a real success, especially during the summer season, Italian company officials believe, given that road traffic on the route is often choked by traffic jams and the European Commission’s concerns about environmental protection.
Share on:
