In 1897, Hungarian engineer Kálmán Kandó designed an electric system and engines for the Italian railways, the electric traction system had great advantages and importance on the very steep railway tracks in the mountainous regions of Italy.

On 15 October 1902 the electrification began on the Lecco-Colico-Chiavenna and Colico-Sondrio sections with overhead power lines at 3,000 V, 15 Hz.

The line is used by regional trains of Trenord which run along the Sondrio-Lecco and Sondrio-Tirano routes (stopping at all stations), and from Regio Express trains - until 2007 called Diretti - of Trenord, many of which travel the entire Tirano route to Milan Central.

From December 2014, on public holidays and the month of August the Regional trains of Lecco-Sondrio terminate at Colico and are replaced by buses for the remaining section.

Initially the rolling stock used, with three-phase alternating current, consisted of: More recently, compositions have been used, between Milan and Tirano, of an FS Class E.464 electric locomotive with 7 MDVC carriages [[[Carrozze_FS_tipo_MDVC]] [it]] and MDVC pilot, while the festive trains consist of FS Class ALe 803 electric multiple units or E.464 locomotives and low-floor carriages.