A high-speed railway that will connect the ancient cities of Rome and Pompeii is currently in the works, according to the Art Newspaper. It is expected to open in 2024 and is expected to bolster tourism.

A new train station and transport hub close to Pompeii will be part of the new $38 million development plan, which is part of Great Pompeii Project, an initiatve launched by the European Union in 2012. The hub will be a new stop on an extant high-speed train line between Rome, Naples, and Salerno.

Currently, visitors to Rome have to travel to Naples and take the regional Circumvesuviana train to reach Pompeii. A journey on the 155-mile long train line, which includes spectacular views of costal towns along the Gulf of Naples, takes roughly two hours to complete.

Though the new train line will bypass some stops on the Circumvesuviana line, it will reach the Villa Dei Misteri stop, which connects to such often overlooked archaeological sites as Ercolano, Oplontis, and Stabiae.

artnews.com