Train Services Resuming
Travelers will soon be able to enjoy the much-loved train journey linking Paris to Milan and Turin once again.
After a 19-month pause due to a landslide that affected a tunnel, services are expected to restart in March.
This exciting announcement was made by the French railway operator, SNCF, and its Italian counterpart, Trenitalia, on Tuesday.
Travel Experience
Beginning March 31, SNCF will resume operations between the French capital and both Italian cities, allowing passengers to savor a unique experience.
Imagine starting your day with a flaky croissant and enjoying a hearty Italian pasta lunch—all within a leisurely timeframe of six to seven hours! Following closely, Trenitalia plans to kick off their services on April 1.
They will offer two daily round trips aboard their cutting-edge Frecciarossa trains, while SNCF will provide three daily round trips on their famous TGV trains.
Service Interruption and Restoration
To ensure connectivity during the service interruption, SNCF launched a bus replacement service between Paris and Milan in January, operating one round trip daily.
Passengers currently travel on a bus from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France to Oulx in Italy, before continuing their journey with the TGV.
This alternative transport option has extended travel times to between seven and a half and nine hours instead of the usual six to seven.
This disruption arose from a serious geological event.
On August 27, 2023, heavy rains—falling after a prolonged dry period—triggered a section of cliff in the Maurienne Valley to collapse, burying 300 meters of the railway tunnel under thousands of tons of rock and causing substantial damage to the infrastructure.
Efforts to restore the railway have been vigorous, involving the removal of approximately 5,000 cubic meters of unstable rock.
Workers employed innovative techniques, including controlled blasting and helicopter water drops, to address safety concerns.
With the cliff stabilized, the path is now clear for the reopening of this critical travel route.
Typically, this railway line serves as a bustling corridor, accommodating around thirty international freight trains and featuring five to six high-speed trips daily, alongside local services catering to the beautiful Maurienne Valley.
The revival of these services is sure to delight travelers who are eager to explore the rich sights and culture that both France and Italy have to offer.