2020: Year of exploring Italy on vintage trains

Rome: A growing number of tourists are opting to explore the beauty of the Italian countryside on board vintage trains.

“It is time to promote another form of tourism that allows the traveller to traverse our country in a sustainable way.”

These are the words with which the Italian minister for cultural heritage and tourism, Dario Franceschini, designated 2020 as Italy’s ‘Year of the Tourist Train’.

“There are 800 kilometres of disused and abandoned railway tracks that cross national parks, protected areas and territories full of history and culture” – said Franceschini – “In 2020 we will invest to strengthen, promote and enhance this form of tourism.”

The minister said that in addition to promoting sustainable tourism, the initiative would help to move the vast crowds of visitors away from “large cities of art which are already experiencing overcrowding and which must be protected.”

The news comes as Italy’s state railway is making available a growing number of historic trains across Italy, due to strong demand visitors who wish to travel aboard steam locomotives, wooden wagons or luxury vintage trains.

Among the most famous is the so-called Transiberiana railway, considered the most scenic rail route in Italy, which winds its way through the mountain landscape of Abruzzo.

Other stunning routes include the Sannio Express between Naples and S. Giuliano del Sannio, taking travellers through the regions of Molise, Abruzzo and Campania; the Centovalli train which travels between Domodossola and Locarno in Switzerland, passing through the “100 valleys” along the way; and the Val d’Orcia steam train that journeys through the breathtaking landscape of Tuscany.

The designation of 2020 as Year of the Tourist Train follows 2016 National Year of Walks, 2017 National Year of Villages, 2018 Year of Italian Food and 2019 Year of Slow Tourism.