Paris-Milan train resumes service 19 months after its interruption

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00:00It's a sound that locals in the town of Modane in southern France have been eagerly

00:12awaiting.

00:14On Monday morning, regional trains returned to this station after 19 months.

00:19For many, it's a much-needed escape from driving.

00:22We had to drive to Chambéry, fight for parking.

00:25It costs a lot.

00:27So it's great to have the train back.

00:30The disaster struck in August 2023, a massive landslide near the border, destroying the

00:37railway and halting a vital link between France and Italy.

00:41On Monday, the high-speed train between Paris and Milan was, like the regional trains in

00:47the Savoie department, back in business.

00:50Despite the seven-hour journey, passengers couldn't be happier.

00:54We'd been waiting for this, for it to start again, and we were afraid we'd have to fly

00:58again.

00:59It's such a relief.

01:01The Paris-Milan high-speed line is just one of many services now returning to Modane,

01:07a town of under 3,000 people, a great comfort for local businesses, who've seen revenues

01:13drop by more than 50% over the past one and a half years.

01:18France's national railway company SNCF will now operate three round-trips per day.

01:24And starting Tuesday, Italy's Tranitalia will relaunch service with two daily trains

01:29between Paris and Milan.

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