Old rail: From Pontedera to Lucca

NOTICE: more images and links will be added in next weeks ... around 25 mar 97 try to reload this page. Put it in your bookmark.
If you found a brown word ... it is a link to be added ...


This is a small page, it deal with the former Pontedera-Lucca line. This line had some bridge destroyed in 1944 and was never reopened.
It left Pontedera to turn right in direction of Calcinaia, where crossed the river Arno with the bridge pictured below. The steel structure is a successive adjunct to carry water pipes

,

After calcinaia it went to Bientina, Cascine di Buti and then Lucca.

At first could be a prime candidate for a rail-to-trail itinerary, and infact the Municipality of Calcinaia have set this small park with fountain at the end of a cycling path along the river. The ruins you see are the remnants of the former Calcinaia Station

For the other part of the line from Pontedera to calcinaia is not feasible, since some building have grown on the old site, and a canal have been digged, this, united with the unavailability of the bridge on river Arno (althought this could be partially restored, to have a cicle trestle adjacent to the pipes) advise to use the ordinary road to Calcinaia, from Calcinaia to Bientina the old line is partially paved, but also full of weeds on some other places..
The station of Bientina (as all others but Calcinaia) is in good shape and althought abandoned is easiry recognized (on the left of the road). From here to Cascine di Buti there are some difficulties to get the old line, either for the weeds, either for missing of some small bridges.

After the station of Cascine di Buti the weeds are very high and is praticually impossible to cross. Anyway the road is much more scenic, althought with some grades. Same until Lucca

If you will come here I will be happy to arrange a trip together

You can reach me by e-mail at: leo@freedom.dicea.unifi.it