Tourism, the Region and the FS Foundation: the historic train season starts again in Sicily
The Treni Storici 2024 edition presented in Palermo by Renato Schifani, President of the Sicilian Region, Elvira Amata, Councillor for Tourism, Sport and Entertainment, and Luigi Cantamessa, General Manager of the FS Foundation: 33 events from 14 September to 8 December
After the great success of the previous editions, the historic trains of the State Railways Foundation return to Sicily for the sixth year. The year 2024 will feature a rich programme that until next December will make it possible to reach the island’s most beautiful locations by vintage train and, at the same time, deseasonalise tourist flows. The initiative is promoted by the Regional Department of Tourism, Sport and Entertainment, in collaboration with the FS Foundation and FS Italian Tourist Trains.
The Presentation of Historical Trains in Sicily
The calendar was presented to the press this morning at Palazzo d’Orléans by the president of the Sicilian Region, Renato Schifani, the councillor for Tourism, Elvira Amata, and the general director of the FS Foundation and CEO of FS Italian Tourist Trains, Luigi Cantamessa.
Since 2018, more than 20 thousand tourists have used historical trains to visit villages, archaeological parks and places of art in Sicily, 7400 in 2023 alone. The 2024 historic trains programme in Sicily includes 33 appointments and will start on Saturday 14 September and end on Sunday 8 December.
Among the planned destinations are Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples archaeological park, Santo Stefano di Camastra and Caltagirone with tours to discover the ceramics, Syracuse and the historic centre of ancient Ortigia, Castelvetrano and the majestic Selinunte archaeological park, and baroque Modica on the occasion of the annual chocolate festival, with departures from Palermo, Messina and Catania. As in past editions, there will be a collaboration with the Ferrovia Circumetnea railway to reach the centre of Bronte from Giarre, with transfer from the historical train to the Fce railcars.
The Treni Storici event is financed with about 500,000 euro of extra-regional funds from the Complementary Operational Programme (Poc) 2014-2020.
“This now well-established initiative, which has been rewarded by public acclaim,” says President Renato Schifani, “aims to enhance itineraries on Sicily’s most scenic railway lines and gives the opportunity to get to know our rich territory from different perspectives. It is also through events like this one that we want to expand an attractive tourist offer, which aims at a greater deseasonalisation of flows’.
“The historical trains represent a concrete way of combining different forms of tourism,” adds councillor Elvira Amata, “increasingly strengthening that vision of an offer that is as integrated as possible, functional and attentive to the traveller’s expectations. The numbers for the period September-December 2023 give an indication of the effectiveness of initiatives like this in promoting deseasonalisation. In these months under analysis, in fact, we recorded a 12 per cent increase in tourist presences in Sicily compared to the same period of the previous year, a percentage that exceeds 21 per cent if we analyse only the presences of foreigners, which in Agrigento even represent 85.4 per cent’.
“Our commitment to helping deseasonalise tourist flows in Sicily continues this year,” said the General Manager of the FS Foundation and Managing Director of FS Italian Tourist Trains, Luigi Cantamessa, “with a rich programme of historical trains that will take in the most beautiful locations on the island, even the lesser-known ones.
Historical Trains in Sicily
We have brought to Sicily the legendary ‘terrazzini’ carriages of the 1930s, a constant presence on the island in the 1950s, which we are now re-proposing in a touristic key to revive the wonder of an authentic journey back in time. From the iconic terraces and windows of these ancient cars, the travel experience will be even more authentic, allowing tourists to fully enjoy the smells and colours of this beautiful land.
Bicycle lovers will not miss the boot car with a special rack that allows the transport of as many as 50 bicycles. The preconditions for surpassing the success of the previous season, where we practically sold out on board most of the circulations, are all there, thanks to the investment of the Sicilian Region”.
Tickets to travel on board the historic trains can be purchased on all Trenitalia sales channels and directly on board the train until all available seats are sold out. More information on the social and web channels of the FS Foundation.
All appointments with historic trains in Sicily:
Saturday 14 September 2024 Ceramics Train Messina – Santo Stefano di Camastra
Saturday 14th September 2024 Train of the Temples Palermo – Agrigento Bassa – Vulcano Temple – (Porto Empedocle)
Sunday 15 September 2024 Art Train Messina – Tusa
Sunday 15 September 2024 Train of the Temples Palermo – Agrigento Bassa – Vulcano Temple – (Porto Empedocle)
Saturday 21 September 2024 Myth Train Catania – Taormina (afternoon/evening)
Sunday 22 September 2024 Myth Train Catania – Taormina
Saturday 28 September 2024 Agrigento Central Train of the Temples – Temple of Vulcan – (Porto Empedocle)
Sunday, September 29, 2024 Train of the Temples Agrigento Centrale – Temple of Vulcan – (Porto Empedocle)
Sunday 29th September 2024 Train of the Sea and Ancient Civilisations Palermo – Castelvetrano
Saturday 5 October 2024 Ceramics Train Catania – Caltagirone
Saturday 5 October 2024 Palermo – Roccapalumba Train of the Stars
Sunday 6 October 2024 Ceramics Train Catania – Caltagirone
Sunday 6 October 2024 Train of the Sea and Ancient Civilisations Palermo – Castelvetrano
Saturday 12 October 2024 Ortigia Train Catania – Syracuse
Saturday 12 October 2024 Pistachio Train Messina – Giarre (Circumetnea)
Sunday 13 October 2024 Myth Train Catania – Taormina
Saturday 19 October 2024 Ceramics Train Messina – Santo Stefano di Camastra
Saturday 19 October 2024 Pistachio Train Siracusa – Giarre (Circumetnea)
Sunday 20 October 2024 Art Train Messina – Santo Stefano di Camastra – Tusa
Sunday 27 October 2024 Train of the Temples Palermo – Vulcano Temple – (Porto Empedocle)
Sunday 27 October 2024 Tourist train Syracuse – Catania
Sunday 3 November 2024 Tourist train Palermo – Mazara del Vallo
Sunday 10 November 2024 Historic train Catania – Messina
Sunday 10 November 2024 Sea and Ancient Civilisations Train Palermo – Castelvetrano