The stretch of railway from La Spezia to Sestri Levante was built in the mid-19th century. It was perhaps the most costly intervention in the field of rail transport in Italy. Small stations were built along the stretch, each with its own buffet, newsstand, left-luggage office and small garden with the inevitable goldfish pond. In 1874 the Levanto station was inaugurated, and it was a marvellous sight to see the locomotive whizzing and diving through those tunnels so close to the sea. The last train travelled the stretch in 1971, followed by years of neglect and decay. In 2010-2011 the old Levanto - Bonassola - Framura railway section became a splendid route for cyclists and pedestrians.