The station of Sulmona was built as a result of the construction, between 1873 and 1875, of the railway connecting the city of Pescara, located on the Adriatic coast with the Abruzzo mountain center of L'Aquila.

This station was further north than the current location, on a curve (decommissioned in 1888) allowing direct trains between Pescara - L'Aquila .

In the same year the long proposed project for the connection between Naples and the Adriatic coast through the pass of Campo di Giove, the station Rivisondoli-Pescocostanzo (highest point of the line at 1268 m above sea level) and Carpinone took shape.

The realisation of such a complex project took a long time and included the construction of a rack railway between Cansano and Roccaraso.

Train services on the line to Isernia finished on 11 December 2011; Since then a bus operates to Castel di Sangro.