A journey back in time on Caritas Express

At 9 am Saturday May 21, a 1930’s steam engine will burst through the Vatican walls. The Caritas Express will pull into the Pope’s platform in front of the Vatican train station were some lucky ticket holders will board its seven historic carriages for a once in a lifetime journey through the Roman countryside, bound for the medieval hill top town of Orvieto, all in the name of charity and all thanks to the initiative of one dedicated train-enthusiast: Australian Ambassador to the Holy See, Timothy Fisher.

“I used to be a railroad director in Australia, for the past two years I’ve been watching the Vatican railroad double its activity from two storage wagons to three so I realised that it was a working railway and so with the earthquakes occurring around the world though that on the 60^th anniversary of Caritas a very special train might be run for charitable purposes. I put the idea to Cardinal Lajolo and I am very delighted that it’s all been agreed with the help of Trenitalia”.

All money raised from donations for tickets on board the Caritas Express will go to Caritas for their countless projects worldwide in support of communities and people in need.

Like any train enthusiast, Ambassador Fisher has been closely following the operations of the shortest national train network and its history and underlines that the Vatican station has been used frequently in the past for charitable initiatives, “to transport aid to flood victims in Northern Italy”.

He told to Emer McCarthy his passion for trains stretches back to his childhood in rural Australia when “the light on the train signalled the arrival of news from the outside world”. Now he has united two of his great interests, trains and giving a helping hand to those in need. Listen: