About this journey

The journey departs from Locarno FART station, an underground terminus that has served the line since 1990, when the original surface approach was replaced by the current subterranean layout. From here, the Ferrovia delle Centovalli climbs out beneath the Ticino hills and begins one of the more demanding mountain railways in the Alps, a route whose name — Centovalli, meaning 100 valleys — reflects the many lateral valleys along which small towns perch above the track.

The line dates to 25 November 1923, its origins rooted in a diplomatic convention signed in Rome on 12 November 1918 between Italian and Swiss representatives. Construction was driven largely by Francis Dance, then Mayor of Locarno. The resulting railway runs approximately 52.2 km on metre gauge (1,000 mm) track, electrified at 1,350 V DC, with gradients reaching up to 60 per thousand in places — particularly between Masera and Santa Maria Maggiore and between Verdasio and Intragna. The route crosses many bridges and viaducts and negotiates numerous gorges. On the Swiss side, operations are managed by FART; the Italian portion is run by SSIF. The international border is crossed between Ribellasca and Camedo. The journey ends at Domodossola station, which opened on 9 September 1888 and forms a break-of-gauge junction where the metre-gauge line meets standard-gauge connections toward Milan and Brig.