“Bellissima!” a passenger in a passing car exclaims as they lean out of the window and frantically waves their arms. Other cars are honking their horns, exchanging whistles with the steam locomotive, and a man riding a bicycle one-handed almost cycles into a pedestrian because he is preoccupied filming the train.
As we round a curve, Lake Annone – a 5.7 sq km body of water in Italy’s Lombardy region – is visible. The last of the day’s light glints off the water, with the rolling hills of the Sasso Malascarpa Nature Reserve in the background.
On the train, I am surrounded by smiling Italians who are waving back to the people outside through the large, open windows in the corridor.
I have paid just €9.10 (£7.60) for this scenic three-and-a-half-hour journey on the Besanino Express, which goes from Lecco in Lombardy (on the banks of Lake Como) to Milan. In Britain, you would pay about £100 for a similar experience. The railway line runs alongside the main road for a couple of miles and through villages.
It is one of the hundreds of heritage trains that run across mainland Italy and Sicily all year round, operated by Fondazione FS – a subsidiary of the state-owned rail company Trenitalia.
I am standing in the corridor of the leading carriage, head and shoulders out of the window, admiring the sound of the 102-year-old Class 740 steam locomotive hauling the train. My carriage dates to the 60s; others are more than 90 years old. The seats are comfortable, offer a lot of room and are well-cushioned. Not surprisingly, given the price of tickets, the train is almost full.
There isn’t a buffet carriage, but I still find refreshment. As I sit down in the compartment that I am sharing with five Italians, a woman produces a huge jug and a stack of disposable cups.
Something is said in Italian – I can make out the word “Inglese” and there is laughter, so I assume a joke is being made at my expense. But a couple in their twenties – Michele and Aria – jump in to translate. “She’s asking if you would like some tea? It’s not English tea, though,” Michele says.
“Si, si!” I reply enthusiastically. The drink is warm and whatever is inside the cup is not tea, though it is tasty and, I suspect, alcoholic.
Soon we leave the lakes behind and travel through parkland and wooded areas on a single-track line, with the occasional stop at stations to let (often late-running) modern trains past in the opposite direction.
The pauses give passengers plenty of opportunity to admire the locomotive and talk to the crew in the early evening.
During these stops, my jug-wielding companion hands cups through the window to passengers on the other (static) trains, much to their delight, arms outstretched from either side.
Fondazione FS is heavily subsidised by local and regional governments to encourage travel by train: a return ticket between Milan and Lecco for the charter costs just €4 (£3.30) more than an equivalent ticket to ride on a normal train.
The company is being tasked with reopening mothballed lines so that tourist trains can run. Since 2022, for instance, Fondazione FS has been working to restore a 27km (17 mile) line between Noto and Pachino in Sicily – shut since 1986, it could open next year.
The train I am travelling on is mostly filled with families. At one point, I spot a father lifting a toddler so he can take in the views. Compared with the UK, where special trains are advertised by specialist tour companies, all Fondazione FS trains appear on Trenitalia’s journey planners alongside normal services.
“It’s very easy to book and affordable,” Aria tells me. She reserved the trip knowing that her partner likes trains. This is their first time on a rail tour, but they have already made up their mind about becoming repeat customers. “It is very enjoyable,” says Aria. “I like how the people in the street are amazed by the train; it’s so great to see.”
Although I travel only from Lecco – which, when I visit, is bathed in glorious sunshine – most people travel from Milan and spend the afternoon exploring the town.
Even before I boarded the train, I knew it would be a journey to remember. Spotting a group of staff in their dark blue uniforms and Breton caps, I asked someone when the train was due. After a bit of back and forth (broken Italian on my part, broken English on theirs and the aid of Google Translate), they established that I am an enthusiast and this was my first Italian steam trip.
What happened next took me rather by surprise. “You are special as you have come from the UK,” Marco Zenoni, one of the team responsible for looking after the train, told me. He introduced me to Angelo Rossi, the president of the society – Ferrovie Turistiche Italiane – that provides stewards onboard the trains.
Once the locomotive chugs into the platform, Marco indicates that I should follow him. Soon, I am standing on the railway line having my photo taken.
After watching the train depart for the depot from Milano Centrale, I can’t stop grinning. I have travelled tens of thousands of miles behind steam around the world, but this trip really stands out.
Getting thereThe writer flew to Milan with easyJet, which offers flights to airports across Italy. For details on steam, diesel and electric-hauled excursion trains, see fondazionefs.it/en/itineraries.
One-way adult tickets for the Besanino Express are €9.10 (£7.50); children travel free.
Staying thereNH Lecco Pontevecchio has doubles from £85, nh-hotels.comibis Styles Milano Centro has doubles from £84, all.accor.com
More informationin-lombardia.it/enyesmilano.it/en
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