A new train line will connect some of the prettiest seaside towns in Europe as it runs a route between Italy and France. Train operator FS Treni Turistici Italiani Passenger Hub plans to introduce a new line linking two of Europe’s most popular towns.
The Italian operator has already launched one successful route joining Paris with Lyon and Milan, giving tourists a multitude of options for travelling through the continent by rail.
As firms look to establish a Belgium to Slovakia rail line and extend the European Sleeper route to Prague, Treni Turistici has said its new development will explore a stunning coastal tourist centre.
And, the company has said, the new train will trace the coast as it moves between two major cities.
A new Côte d’Azur line could open this summer, French channel France 3 has reported, capable of bringing people from Milan to Marseille via the sun-soaked coast.
Otherwise known as the French Riviera, the area is lined by more than a dozen picturesque towns, including Nice, Cannes and Saint-Tropez, all infamous tourist hotspots.
Treni Turistici has not disclosed the exact route the tran could follow but has said it could offer daily round-trip services between Milan and its French terminus.
Microstate Monaco and seaside town Nice are reportedly on the cards as potential stops, and their inclusion could mean that several Italian destinations could follow.
Ventimiglia, Dolceacqua, Bordighera and Sanremo all lead up to the French border. They all flank the Italian Riviera, the crescent-shaped strip of Mediterranean coastline in Liguria.
Genova, another stunning major city on Italy’s coast and Liguria’s capital is the Riviera’s largest community. Treni Turistici will ultimately decide the final route alongside state-owned French rail network SNCF, and Treni Turistici boss Luigi Cantamessa said it will primarily serve as an “intercity” service.
He said: “[The new routes] will not be on a high-speed line but rather an intercity line. This should probably be put into service for the summer of 2024 with one Milan-Marseille round trip per day.”
He added: “We are convinced that taking into account the traffic situation, particularly in the Liguria region, and the growing sensitivity towards the environment, the market conditions are now ripe to operate a route daily seasonal focused on tourism needs.”
