The Val d'Orcia Railway crosses one of Tuscany's most enchanting territories, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004: from the lunar-like badlands to the rolling wine-growing hills of Montalcino, from the harsh Sienese clays to the northern slopes of Mount Amiata. The Val d'Orcia Railway, 51.2 km long, connects the Asciano station in the province of Siena (still active on the Empoli-Siena-Chiusi line) to that of Monte Antico in the province of Grosseto (still active on the Siena-Grosseto line, via Buonconvento). It was conceived in the 1850s to connect Siena to Grosseto, crossing the interior of Tuscany along the Asso and Orcia valleys, important territories from an agricultural and mining point of view (famous for the mercury mines of Mount Amiata). The line, opened in sections between 1865 and 1872, suffered severe damage during World War II, which caused its closure for several years. The closure of the mines, the development of road traffic, and competition from the more direct Siena-Grosseto line via Buonconvento caused the decline of traffic on the Val d'Orcia Railway, which, through various vicissitudes, led to the closure of passenger and freight service on September 27, 1994. Since 1996, the Val d'Orcia Railway has been used for tourist trains.