Cecina-Volterra railway

The Cecina-Volterra railway line is an Italian railway line that connects the coast town of Cecina to Saline di Volterra in Tuscany. Until 1958 it continued up into the medieval hilltop town of Volterra.

History

The construction began in 1860, with the line opening between Cecina and Saline di Volterra. There was a plan announced in 1863 to extend the line to the Central Tuscan railway at Poggibonsi, but this was never realised. The line had a small connection to a mine at Monterufoli, which provided a substantial freight traffic until it was dismantled in 1928. In 1912, a rack railway using the Strub system was opened, connecting Saline di Volterra with Volterra town. This line was closed in 1958.

Traffic

The line is kept open to provide connections to school for residents of the valley. The line was served by regionale services until early 2020, when they were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These were expected to recommence for the 2020-21 school period but this never happened and replacement bus services have been continued indefinitely.