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Now sat on the other side, we once again make a 180 mile dash down the Florence - Rome High Speed Line, this time aboard one of FS's Class ETR 600 New Pendolino sets. Entering service in 2008, the ETR 600 and 610's were built by Alstom to become the universal Pendolino class of Europe, with examples now in service with Trenitalia, RENFE of Spain and SBB CFF FFS of Switzerland. In Italy, these units came to replace the ageing Class 450 units on primary Intercity services and were able to supplement the 1994 Cisalpino ETR 460 sets. Due to the fact that these trains tilt they're limited to 155mph on the High Speed line so as to keep to the timings of the ETR 500 sets.

1. And thus we start at Florence Santa Maria Novella, the 1848 station rebuilt in 1934 by the Gruppo Tuscano, Florence Santa Maria Novella station to a design helping to represent the modern world of Mussolini's Fascist Italy. Like many stations in Italy, the design incorporated a more angular contrast to the neo-Gothic and renaissance designs that surrounded them, attempting to show a new world branching from the old in the form of a railway.

2. Immediately after departure we pass the FS Carriage sidings and locomotive depot as we take the southern curve of the Y outside of the station. As we join the avoiding line we overtake an FS Class ME085 DMU as we pass through Florence Statuto station.

3. Picking up speed, we pass through Florence Campo di Marte railway station. Essentially a parkway station on the eastern suburbs of the city, Campo di Marte station is served mainly by regional services heading for Santa Maria Novella but is also served by Frecciarossa and InterCity services that do not stop at Santa Maria Novella and instead use the avoiding line to the north of the station. This area also boasts an extensive track layout for the storage of spare sets. Major construction work is also under-way to make this station a through station for the High Speed Line extension, allowing through journeys from Rome to Milan at an uninterrupted 300 kph.

4. Diverging from the old line, the train begins its climb into the mountains to the south of the city through a series of tunnels.

5. Near Troghi, we pass an unusual collection of sandstone outcroppings as we enter the fertile farming country.

6. At certain sections along the route, connections between the old and new line can be found in order to allow for semi-fast workings serving certain areas along the course of the journey.

7. At Allerona, the line crosses the Pianlungo valley on a 3 mile long viaduct whilst the old line can be seen winding its way around the valley basin.

8. At Belvedere the line slows on the approach to Northern Rome and at Settebagni it rejoins the slow line on the way into the city.

9. North of Roma Tiburtina, the train is stopped to allow an ÖBB Austrian Railways Class 1116 Taurus locomotive to pass northbound with a mixed enterprise freight.

10. On the move again, we pass Roma Tiburtina. As part of the Euro High Speed Corridor 1 project which plans to connect Berlin in Germany with Palermo in western Sicily, stations such as Roma Tiburtina and Florence Campo di Marte are being built to allow for through trains to stop at these essential parkway stations so that easy connections can be made into the city centre without the High Speed services having to leave the High Speed Line or have to reverse at Roma Termini. At present, the station is served by 140 high speed trains and 290 regional trains every day.

11. South of Tiburtina, the train takes the branch of the Y to enter the station, lines to the left continue to Naples along the Rome - Naples High Speed Line as well as through lines to Rome's Tuscolana station. As we pass the tram depot, a Class 450 Pendolino can be seen awaiting passage into the station with a train from Naples whilst an ETR 500 and a regional express race each other into the station.

12. And so we arrive at Roma Termini, the central station for the ancient capital city and thus our journey ends.

Enjoy!

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