Dissemination event

Driven by this very question, on 16 June 2026, the University of Florence (UNIFI) hosted the conference “Low Traffic, High Value: Activating the Potential of Rail Services in Europe’s Rural Areas”—a milestone event within the framework of the European Tour&Rail Project.

Rail operators, infrastructure managers, tourism bodies, public authorities, and researchers sat down at the same table with one clear goal: to prove that a regional train doesn’t need to be packed to generate immense value. Discussions centered on how tourism can secure the long-term economic survival of these lines, turning them into true engines of territorial cohesion, sustainable mobility, and local development.

This is the webinar schedule:

The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and the UIC unveiled the preliminary findings of the Tour&Rail project. Their core premise: stop measuring a line’s success solely by ridership figures, and start factoring in its real impact on the local economy, social inclusion, and the region’s environmental resilience.

Representatives from CP – Comboios de Portugal and Turismo do Porto e Norte showcased the metamorphosis of the Douro Line. The case study proves how diversifying tourism products and leveraging the UNESCO World Heritage brand have skyrocketed regional appeal—and, consequently, passenger demand.

Speakers from Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), Trenitalia, and the Tuscany Region analyzed how tight alignment between institutions and operators has boosted local tourism while safeguarding residents’ right to daily mobility. The winning formula: integrated ticketing, intermodality, and coordinated territorial planning.

Experts from Trenitalia, CP, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), and UPM debated the challenges ahead. At the heart of the conversation? New governance models and cooperation strategies designed to squeeze the maximum social and economic value out of the “rail + tourism” alliance.