I am traveling from Stella Cilento to Messina. Do I need to go to Salerno to catch a train or can I get one from a closer spot?
Lori, it looks like the closer town is Agropoli. If you have already booked a hotel, perhaps the hotel or the Tourist Information office in Stella Cilento can help.
The Tyrrhenian mainline actually goes quite close to the place you will be staying. There is a small station (Omignano-Salento) 6 miles from your place. You take a train from there and connect in Villanuova or Sapri to Intercity or ES trains to Villa San Giovanni/Messina. Be sure to check the proper connection times though: you can't just pop up and bet there will soon be a train, as there are not much regional service around there. Buy the Intercity or ES train in advance for savings.