RFI starts Cinque Terre station works in October 2026

RFI announced station accessibility works at Cinque Terre on 15 October 2026, covering Riomaggiore and Manarola in the province of La Spezia, Italy. The railway operator said the projects would begin the following week and improve links between the stations, the villages and the Via dell'Amore route.

The announcement gives travellers a practical change to follow during the autumn: railway access remains central to visits, while construction will alter some connections and produce temporary interruptions on selected dates.

RFI starts accessibility works at two Cinque Terre stations

Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, part of the FS Group, is carrying out the works with an investment of more than 4 million euros. The project at Riomaggiore will restore two lifts between the railway station and the Via dell'Amore, after the existing installations had remained out of service.

At Manarola, the plan adds a new link on the eastern side of the platform. It will combine a staircase and a lift between the railway platform and the elevated path leading towards the Via dell'Amore. The 15 October works announcement identifies both stations and the link to the well-known coastal route.

Riomaggiore is allocated 970,000 euros, while the Manarola intervention is valued at 3.215 million euros. Construction will take place mainly at night to limit its effect on train services, although some phases require temporary suspensions.

Why the station works matter in Cinque Terre landscape

The five villages are Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. They form part of the UNESCO World Heritage property of Portovenere, Cinque Terre and the Islands, a cultural landscape stretching along the eastern Ligurian coast between Levanto and La Spezia.

UNESCO describes a steep coastal setting shaped over centuries by stone-walled terraces for vines and olive trees. The same terrain explains why railway stations and links to paths matter: the villages sit in compact settlements on the coast or on hillsides, while the routes between levels can involve steps and steep ground.

The station programme therefore connects a current transport change with a defining feature of the landscape. Restoring lifts at Riomaggiore and adding a lift at Manarola addresses access at two points where rail travel meets the path network. UNESCO records the five villages as dating from the later Middle Ages and identifies the terraces as part of a landscape created by human work over almost a millennium. Further details of the World Heritage landscape provide the wider setting.

Planned rail interruptions affect autumn journeys

Some construction stages will affect train circulation rather than close the villages themselves. The announced timetable includes a 48-hour suspension between Corniglia and La Spezia, plus night-time interruptions between Levanto and La Spezia from 10.30pm to 6.30am on selected weekends.

The listed periods include 14 and 15 November 2026, 19 and 20 December 2026, 9 and 10 January 2027, and 6 and 7 February 2027. The rail disruption details also state that the works are expected to finish in May 2027.

Visiting Cinque Terre: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Works at Riomaggiore and Manarola were announced on 15 October 2026 and were due to begin the following week.
• The lifts are part of the access infrastructure linking the stations with the Via dell'Amore; the existing route at Manarola also includes a pedestrian underpass and stairs.
• Travellers using trains should allow for the listed suspensions between Corniglia and La Spezia on 14 and 15 November 2026, and check current railway information before departure.
• The area consists of steep coastal terrain, compact villages and terraced hillsides, so station access and walking routes can include steps, slopes and changes in level.

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Frequently asked questions about Cinque Terre

What changed at Cinque Terre on 15 October 2026?

RFI announced accessibility works at the Riomaggiore and Manarola railway stations, including lift projects linked to the Via dell'Amore.

Where is Cinque Terre and how do you get there?

Cinque Terre is on the eastern Ligurian coast between Levanto and La Spezia. The railway is a principal way to reach its five villages.

What is Cinque Terre?

Cinque Terre is the collective name for Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, within a UNESCO cultural landscape shaped by steep terraces and coastal settlements.