Trains in Tuscany! R18512 Lucca-Viareggio with Trenitalia E464.584 and series 2 Vivaltos 27/06/2024

The Lucca-Viareggio line is a short, 23km, single track link between the Firenze-Lucca-Pisa line and the main Genova-Pisa coast line. If you are ever in the area and only have time for a short journey, it is highly recommendable, as it is a really charming line with some fantastic scenery.
It's a favourite line of mine, as we always travelled on it to go to the beach in Viareggio.
The line runs parallel to the Lucca-Pisa line to the west of Lucca until the lines split at Montuolo junction (just west of the now closed Montuolo station). This part of the line is operationally interesting, it is still run as two bi-directional single lines. You can find yourself running on either line from Montuolo to Lucca if you are coming from Pisa, but more likely to be on the left if coming from Viareggio. I have been on Pisa and Viareggio trains running side by side out of Lucca, in which case, the lines are treated as parallel single tracks.
The first station on the Viareggio line after the Pisa line leaves (and the Serchio river is crossed) is Nozanno. This used to have a passing place, but it has been removed. The hills gradually close in around the railway, before it enters the Ceracci tunnel (1679m). Leaving the tunnel, there is a vast plain towards Lake Massaciuccoli and the sea, whilst on the right are the foothills of the Apuan alps. The A11 road threads through these on spectacular viaducts.
Fast trains do not stop at Massarosa-Bozzano station, but there will nearly always be a stopping train waiting in the loop for the westerly direction fast train. The line then turns towards Viareggio over the marshes of Lake Massaciuccoli. These were very challenging to build on, so the line took a long time to construct for such a short railway. Finally, the line joins the main Genova-Pisa line just before the closed Viareggio Scalo station. Passing over one of the main canal linking into Lake Massaciuccoli, the train arrives at Viareggio. This will usually be at the easterly platforms.
If you stay in Lucca, this is a great way of getting to the excellent beach in Viareggio (which is a 15min walk from the station).
Index Points:
00:00:00 E464.585 at Lucca with R18517 to Firenze SMN
00:00:11 E464.584 arrives at Lucca with R18512 to Viareggio
00:00:25 Leaving Lucca for Viareggio
00:01:58 Nice view of the 500m mountains around Lucca
00:03:20 Montuolo station (closed)
00:04:00 PM Montuolo, where trains can swap between the parallel single tracks to Lucca
00:04:16 Bivio Montuolo, where the Pisa line leaves- Jazz Unit with R18491 to Firenze SMN can be seen
00:04:34 Crossing River Serchio
00:04:46 Nozzano and its castle
00:05:06 Nozzano (pass)
00:06:42 Ceracci Tunnel (1679m)
00:07:18 A11 running through the foothills of the Apuan alps on viaducts
00:08:01 Massarosa-Bozzano (Pass)- Jazz unit with R18627 to Lucca waits in the loop
00:08:49 Fantastic views of the mountains here
00:10:28 Crossing the marshes of Lake Massaciuccoli
00:12:08 Junction with the main Genova-Pisa line
00:12:29 Viareggio Scalo (closed)
00:12:40 Crossing the Burlamacca Canal
00:12:50 ETR480 Pendolino with FB8613 Genova-Roma T
00:13:15 Viareggio
00:13:40 ETR521 Rock unit with R18348 Pisa-La Spezia
00:14:07 E464.335 (in hybrid ex-Freccibianca colours) and 356 with InterCity 674 Livorno-Milano