A new high-speed train connecting Rome to Pompeii is coming to Italy. Construction on the train will begin soon, and the service is expected to be unveiled in the early months of 2024, according to Thrillist.
Italy’s culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said that the €35 million project will be a simpler and quicker way for visitors to reach the popular archaeological park. “We will take tourists directly from Rome to Pompeii. Culture is a strategic asset for Italy,” said Sangiuliano, according to Neapolitan daily Newspaper Il Mattino. “I know that the word “cultural industry” makes some people itch, but culture can be a great opportunity for civil growth and for economic development in Italy.”
The train will also connect to Rome Fiumicino airport, where most international flights land. This means that tourists will be able to directly take a train to Pompeii after landing, according to Thrillist.
The current public transportation route from Rome to Pompeii is complicated and long. Visitors must first arrive in Naples via train, where they can then change onto the Circumvesuviana, a coastal regional service that makes several stops around the Gulf of Naples, according to Euronews. The journey from Naples to the Pompeii Scavi-Villa dei Misteri train station can take at least two hours.
The high-speed rail from the capital is expected to double visitor numbers to the ancient site, which on average sees 20,000 visitors a day, according to Il Mattino. A large pedestrian path to the archaeological area is also set to be created to streamline attendance into the park. According to Il Mattino, this will allow for the ancient city to be open at night and feature shows and events held beneath the moon and stars. However, while the increase in tourism may be welcomed by local tourism agencies and hotel owners, it raises concerns about potentially damaging overcrowding at the park.
Asia London Palomba
Asia London Palomba is a trilingual freelance journalist from Rome, Italy. In the past, her work on culture, travel, and history has been published in The Boston Globe, Atlas Obscura, The Christian Science Monitor, and Grub Street, New York Magazine's food section. In her free time, Asia enjoys traveling home to Italy to spend time with family and friends, drinking Hugo Spritzes, and making her nonna's homemade cavatelli.