The popular train line connecting Paris with Turin and Milan will finally reopen in March and April 2025 after being shut for 19 months. The closure was caused by a landslide that severely damaged a tunnel, but services are now set to resume, as announced by SNCF and Trenitalia on Tuesday.
SNCF confirmed that its Paris-Turin-Milan services will restart on March 31, allowing passengers to enjoy the swift journey between France and Italy once again. Trenitalia, which competes with SNCF on the route, will relaunch its high-speed Frecciarossa trains starting April 1.
The Italian company has planned two daily round trips, while SNCF will offer three daily round trips aboard its TGV trains.
The Landslide in the Maurienne Valley
On August 27, 2023, a devastating cliff collapse occurred in the Maurienne Valley, burying a 300-meter-long railway tunnel under thousands of tons of rock. The collapse was caused by heavy rains following a period of drought.
To secure the area, workers had to remove 5,000 cubic meters of unstable rock using methods like helicopter water drops and controlled dynamiting. Only after securing the cliff could the damaged infrastructure be restored.
During the closure, SNCF set up a replacement service that required passengers to travel part of the route by bus between Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France and Oulx in Italy, with the rest of the journey completed on the TGV. This alternative extended the total journey time to seven and a half to nine hours, compared to the six to seven hours it typically takes.
A vital route for freight and passengers
In normal times, the railway line serves as a critical link between France and Italy, carrying around thirty international freight trains daily. It also accommodates five to six daily round trips of high-speed trains, along with local services in the Maurienne Valley.
The reopening of the Paris-Turin-Milan route will bring back the convenience of whisking passengers from breakfast croissants in Paris to a hearty pasta lunch in Italy in just six to seven hours. With services back on track, travelers can look forward to smooth and swift journeys across borders once more.
