Travellers hoping to wake up to views of the Mediterranean coastline this summer have been served with disappointment.
FS Treni Turistici Italiani, the tourism arm of Italy’s state railway group, has confirmed that its popular Espresso Riviera night train will not run in 2026 — despite strong demand and a sell-out debut season just last year.
The service, which connected Rome with Marseille via Nice and Monaco, has been suspended due to that the company describes as “operational limitations at the Ventimiglia border”.
Behind the scenes, running an international train involves significant complexity. To operate in France, a train requires a locomotive compatible with the French network and drivers authorised to drive on it, conditions that have proven impossible to meet this year.
A promising start, now on hold
The Espresso Riviera first ran in 2024 as Nice-Milan service, though the debut was not without its own difficulties. Back then, the planned stop at Monaco had to be cancelled at the last minute due to concerns over diesel emissions in the station’s underground ventilation system.
However, the issue was resolved, and by 2025 the train added Monaco as part of its expanded Rome-Marseille route.
That 2025 service, which offered passengers retro-style shared couchettes and private cabins, sold out across all nine weekends it ran between July and August, carrying more than 3,500 passengers.
Until a few days ago, it has been expected to return bigger than ever, with more departures and a longer season running from June to September.
What happens now
FS Treni Turistici Italiani says it is working with partners to bring the service back, though no timeline has been given. The company has directly contacted customers who had already reached out to its service team. For now, the platforms of Nice, Monaco and Marseille will have to wait — and so will the passengers who were counting on arriving there in style
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Main photo credit: FS Treni Turistici Italiani