Abandoned Railways of Sicily

Sicily has the largest network of railways of any Mediteranean island but nowadays much of the network lies abandoned.

It’s estimated that more than a 1,000 kilometres of rail lines have been decommissioned . The surviving lines which run along the north coast linking the major cities of Palermo in the west and Catania in the east , and south to the great archeological site at the city of Agrigento , have a reputation for being plagued by unreliable and late running services.

There are plans to revitalise some of the defunct lines such as the old goods and passenger line which runs south of the baroque city of Noto. Here it’s hoped the line can carry tourists and culture seekers south to the popular and atmospheric fishing resort of Marzememi.

Devlopment plans for other lines include ideas for the establishment of “green belts” which have proved popular in other parts Europe and North America.

A narrow gauge railway , established at the end of the 19th century, which circumnavigates the mighty Mount Etna, still departs from Catania and runs around the base of the mighty volcano stopping at a number of medieval towns and villages along the way.

The Ferrovia Circumetnea , the so called a”Round-Etna Railway”) icovers a distance of 110 kilometres and is a great way to discover the historic Etna region.

Destination – Italy