TRENITALIA France does not expect to resume operation of its cross-border Paris - Milan service until November 1 following a significant landslide at Maurienne on the line between Modane and St-Michel-Valloire in the French Alps on August 27.

Trenitalia has restored four of its Paris - Lyon services, with the remaining two not expected to resume until September 25.

The Italian operator says its fleet of Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed trains have to regularly visit a maintenance facility near Milan, which is no longer possible following the closure of the line. Trenitalia says it managed to mobilise a team of experts from Milan to carry out part of the maintenance for the Frecciarossa fleet in France, enabling it to offer a limited service between Paris and Lyon.

“We are constantly monitoring developments in the situation with the local authorities and the infrastructure manager for the rehabilitation of the tracks in Maurienne,” Trenitalia says. “And we are doing everything possible to resume the circulation of our Frecciarossa trains as soon as possible.”

SNCF Network has worked with local authorities to establish the extent of the work required to reopen the line.

The landslide blocked both rail and road access to the Fréjus tunnel. SNCF Network stated in a social media post on September 1 that it does not expect to resume rail traffic between Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and Modane for “at least two months.”

“Track repairs can only begin once the work to reinforce the mountain, coordinated by the government, has been completed,” it said.

Trenitalia France launched operation in competition with incumbent, French National Railways (SNCF) on the Paris - Lyon route, in April 2022.

Alternative routes

Passengers seeking to travel to Milan from Paris and Lyon are advised to use the following options:

  • TGV Lyria: Paris Gare de Lyon - Milan Central via Zürich
  • Ouigo Paris - Nice or Cannes, TER Cannes or Nice - Ventimille, Ventimille - Milan Central
  • Intercité Paris Gare de l’Est - Strasbourg, TER Strasbourg - Basel, Basel – Milan Central
  • TGV Lyria Paris Gare de Lyon - Basel, Basel - Zürich, Zürich - Milan Central, and
  • TGV Lyria Paris - Geneva, Geneva - Brigue, Brigue - Milan Central.

Lyon - Milan

  • TGV InOui Lyon - Mulhouse, TGV Lyria Mulhouse - Zürich, Trenitalia Zürich - Milan
  • TGV Inoui Lyon Part Dieu - Nice, TER Nice - Ventimille, Ventimille - Milan Central, and
  • TER Lyon Part Dieu - Geneva, Geneva - Zürich, Zürich - Milan.