Nestled within the heart of Rome lies one of the world’s most unique transportation systems: the Vatican City Railway.
This diminutive rail network, measuring just 1.27 kilometers (0.79 miles) in total length, holds the distinction of being the shortest national railway system on Earth.
The railway consists of two parallel 300-meter tracks connected to the Italian rail network, plus two freight sidings. Despite its modest size, this little railway carries significant historical and practical importance for the Holy See.
A Station Fit For A Pope
The system features a single station with the wonderfully straightforward name of “Vatican City railway station.”
This isn’t just any ordinary station – beyond its transportation duties, it houses a small tax-free department store exclusively available to diplomats and the 842 official Vatican citizens.
It’s perhaps the world’s only railway station where you might bump into a Cardinal doing his shopping between papal duties.
Birth Of A Papal Railway
Construction began in 1929, shortly after the Lateran Treaty established Vatican City as an independent state, and was completed in 1934. The entire 24 million lira cost (approximately $1 million) was paid by Mussolini’s Italian government.
Given the railway’s diminutive length, it should have been relatively easy to ensure the trains ran on time.
This wasn’t the Vatican’s first railway. Under Pope Pius IX, the Papal States operated the Rome–Frascati line beginning in 1856, though this disappeared when the Papal States were absorbed into unified Italy in 1861.
Modern Operations
Today, the Vatican Railway doesn’t operate regular passenger services, primarily serving freight purposes instead.
However, since September 2015, there has been a specially chartered Saturday service taking visitors on round-trip journeys to Castel Gandolfo, the Pope’s summer residence just 13 miles away.
A Railway Of Records
The Vatican Railway holds several impressive records: it’s the world’s shortest national system, operates entirely within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is possibly the only railway where the head of state could walk its entire length in under ten minutes.
Despite its size, it incorporates all essential rail elements: proper signaling, overhead electrical lines, and connections to the broader European network. In theory, a train could travel from Vatican City all the way to Scotland – though it would need quite a few stops along the way.
The Vatican Railway stands as a fascinating example of how even the smallest nations require practical infrastructure, proving that sometimes the most interesting transportation systems come in the smallest packages.
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