A HOLIDAY hotspot in Europe is set to benefit from a brand-new £2.3billion train station, which will improve transport links for tourists.
Train journeys across Tuscany are set to improve when a new train station opens in Florence.
The new train station called Firenze Belfiore Station will ease pressure on Firenze Santa Maria Novella.
Firenze Belfiore Station is set to become the city’s main transport hub when it opens in 2028.
The station has been designed by Foster + Partners and will be engineered by Arup.
Located in one of Florence’s historical quarters, the new station will increase passenger flow and optimise transport links in the city and across the country.
The new station will span 47,000 square metres across four levels, including a concourse, a platform level that will be based 25m underground.
There will also be a large urban park, with one of its entrances facing a public square.
Other facilities are set to include an underground bus station as well as room for car parking.
A model of the station shows what the structure could look like when it opens in four years.
The train station will be covered be a steel and glass roof, which will stretch over its four floors.
Gaps have been built into the roof to allow for plenty of light to flood into the concourse and other areas.
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According to a local newspaper, Gianpiero Strisciuglio, boss of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, said: “This is a very important moment for Florence, Tuscany and the mobility of the entire country.”
“This work will improve the quality of public transport, speed up connections and separate the flow of traffic.
“In this way, we will be able to increase slots for passenger and goods trains along Italy’s main train lines.”
Firenze Belfiore Station is also set to become part of Italy‘s new high-speed rail network, which will run from Milan to Naples and Turin to Venice.
The new network will encompass over 1,000km of railway line and four brand-new stations in Rome, Turin, Naples and Florence.
When Firenze Belfiore Station opens it will make train travel across the region easier for Brits, as rail connections across Tuscany will improve.
Florence isn’t the only destination that’s set to benefit from an overhaul of its public transport infrastructure.
Several new train stations are set to open across the West Midlands, including Moseley Village Train Station, which first opened to the public in 1867, but closed down in 1941 as a wartime economy measure.
It will be one of three stations to reopen along the Camp Hill line in Birmingham, with the other two stations being Pineapple Road and Kings Heath.
The new stations will provide regular train services into Birmingham New Street.
Meanwhile, Aldridge station in Walsall, West Midlands, is also set to reopen following a £30million revamp.
While the station closed to passengers in 1965, its tracks have routinely been used by freight services.
Sun Travel's journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.
Davos to Geneva, Switzerland
“After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.” – Caroline McGuire
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
“Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.” Kara Godfrey
London to Paris by Eurostar
“Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.” – Sophie Swietochowski
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
“From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.” – Hope Brotherton
Beijing to Ulaanbatar
“The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere.” – Ryan Gray
Earlier this year, plans were put forward to transform London Waterloo – the third busiest train station in the UK.
The proposals detailed new entrances, increased space on the station’s concourses and new shops and restaurants.
