Italy plans to open a high-speed rail connection between Rome and the ancient city of Pompeii, in a bid to ramp up tourism to the archaeological site and other locations along one of Italy's most beautiful stretches of coast.

The €35m development foresees the creation of a new train station and transport hub adjacent to the Pompeii archaeological site, the former ancient city that was preserved in a volcanic eruption in 79AD and last year was visited by nearly three million people in 2022, compared with seven million at the Colosseum and four million at the Uffizi.