As it moves across central Italy, an old train pulling carriages from the 1930s and 1950s crosses the forests of the Majella National Park and the Abruzzo highlands.
Across 100 kilometers, the Park Railway, also known as the Italian Transiberian, travels through valleys and tunnels and over old bridges called viaducts. It offers visitors a view of small, rural and hidden villages in the country.
It was the first of some 1,000 kilometers of rail line to have re-opened under a project by Fondazione FS, part of the state-controlled national rail company.
“Timeless tracks”
The project called "Timeless tracks" aims to take visitors to forgotten parts of Italy instead of the popular cities.
"These are tracks that have lived through different eras, they have carried soldiers to the front, cows to pasture... they were mistakenly considered unproductive during the 1960s and 70s but are now once again of value," Luigi Cantamessa, who heads Fondazione FS, told Reuters.
Inspired by train travel in Switzerland, the project now carries 45,000 visitors a year across its 13 lines. Fondazione FS expects to open two new ones by 2026, both in the southern area of Sicily.
"What were considered to be the dry branches of Italy's train network, have now proved to be the green shoots," Cantamessa added.
Norma Pagiotti is a 28-year-old from Florence, Italy traveling on the train with two friends.
Pagiotti said, "People are used to cities and places, like Florence, that everyone knows.. but then there are other areas that need to be discovered. (This) is the right kind of tourism that does not spoil the authenticity of places,"
Caterina Quaranta, from southern Italy, used the term “nostalgic," meaning a longing for a past time, to describe riding the train.
“The train reminds me of my youth, I feel a bit nostalgic for the things of the past, which were simpler, now everything is fast, short-lived," Quaranta said.
Laura Colaprete, a local guide, said the trains draw Italians and foreigners, families and children, younger people who get off to hike and ride bicycles, and older people "who have time to spare.”
The trip
After climbing up almost 1,000 meters in altitude, the Transiberian's first stop is in Palena, a hill-top town known for its beautiful views over the national park.
Traditional folk music accompanies people getting off the train, with local foods such as lamb skewers and soft pancakes and products by local artisans awaiting them at the station.
"The train helps several small towns around here. This line was a dead line before," said Gino Toppi, 60, as he helped his wife with the food stand in the small station.
Milan's Bocconi University recently estimated that for every dollar spent by passengers on tickets, as much as three more are spent on food, tours and other purchases. The rail ticket costs between $32 and $76.
That helps to support the economy of villages that have long lost population due to the declining birth rate and younger people leaving for the bigger cities.
"There certainly are benefits, this is a way to show my products," said Annalisa Cantelmi, an herbalist, or herb grower. "These tourists are slowly discovering these new territories, their traditions and people," she added.
I’m John Russell.
