by InTrieste
A historic train service linking Treviso and Gemona del Friuli will operate on June 21 as part of a gathering of Italy’s Alpini veterans and commemorations marking the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Friuli earthquake.
The initiative, supported by the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional government, is being organized in conjunction with the assembly of the Alpini Association’s Third Triveneto Grouping, international Alpini chapters, volunteer work camps and military units that assisted local communities in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.
The train, consisting of a historic diesel locomotive and 1930s-era “Centoporte” passenger carriages, will transport participants along a route that retraces part of the region’s history. The service is scheduled to depart Treviso at 6 a.m. and arrive in Gemona del Friuli at approximately 8:15 a.m., with stops in Conegliano, Sacile, Pordenone, Casarsa and Udine. The return journey will leave Gemona at 4:45 p.m. and arrive back in Treviso at 6:55 p.m.
Regional Infrastructure Councillor Cristina Amirante said the train was intended to honor the contributions of the Alpini, armed forces personnel, institutions and volunteers who played a role in rebuilding Friuli after the earthquake, which killed nearly 1,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless.
The event forms part of a broader program of commemorations taking place throughout the region this year to mark the half-century since the disaster, one of the most significant earthquakes in modern Italian history.
Interest in the service has been strong. Regional officials said that more than 200 of the train’s 224 seats had been reserved within days of tickets becoming available.
The journey is part of a wider network of tourist rail services promoted by the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in partnership with Fondazione FS Italiane, Trenitalia and PromoTurismoFVG. The program aims to preserve Italy’s railway heritage while encouraging cultural and sustainable tourism.
To accommodate visitors attending the Alpini gathering, regional authorities, working with Trenitalia and the national rail infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, have also scheduled more than 20 additional regional train services between Udine, Gemona and Carnia on June 20 and 21.
Officials said the extra services were designed to facilitate travel to and from the events while reducing road traffic and supporting the movement of large numbers of visitors.
Tickets for the historic train are available through Trenitalia’s sales channels, station ticket offices, self-service machines and authorized travel agencies.
