Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS), Italy’s state-owned railway operator, announced the launch of tourist-focused trains. These carriers will use vintage locomotive engines and will ply on well-loved vacation routes to attract more tourists.
FS Treni Turistici Italiani (Italian Tourist Trains) will be flagged off in 2024 and offer services that are “high quality, sustainable and focused on rediscovering the riches of Italy,” the company stated in a press release. The concept is to provide a train travel experience where the carriers become an integral part of a traveller’s Italian sojourn.
Italian tourist trains: Types, destinations and other details
The company stated that there will be three sections to the project:
- Lusso or luxury trains, which will primarily be the super-comfortable Orient Express — the Dolce Vita, an Italian luxury train that will make its debut in 2024, or the iconic Venice Simplon Orient Express by Belmond, which already operates in Europe.
- Espressi (Express) and treni storici (vintage/historic trains), which will run on medium and long routes from major cities to popular tourist spots (such as Rome/Milan to Calalzo/Cortina), with night and day routes. Express trains will consist of carriages from the 1980s and 1990s to provide travellers with a vintage feel with modern comfort. Other amenities will include restaurant cars, sleeping cars, meeting cars, and spaces to store bikes, skis and other mobility vehicles while onboard. Additionally, these trains will travel to historical destinations in Italy, coupled with wine-tasting and walking tours.
- Omnibus-Regionali trains will be slower services that run on weekends. These regional tourist trains in Italy will be more affordable and will travel through landscapes of interest and destinations that are known for their food and drink traditions. These trains will be aimed towards maximising user experience.
According to a report in CNN, the portfolio will also include ‘cruise trains’: routes that will allow vacationers to shuttle back and forth from short trips.
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Written By
Anushka Goel
Anushka has previously worked with publications such as the Times of India and Being Indian. A graduate from Xavier Institute of Communications, she specialises in entertainment, food and travel. She also likes to write about sustainability and beauty. When not working, you can catch her reading a book, tending to her plants, cooking or playing an instrument.
