Italian rail services disrupted after glitch in Rome
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The malfunction affected almost 80 local, intercity and high speed trains operated by Trenitalia.
PHOTO: REUTERS
ROME – Dozens of trains in Italy were delayed or cancelled on Oct 2 after a technical malfunction on a stretch of line between the Italian capital’s two main stations, train operator Trenitalia said.
Almost 80 local, intercity and high-speed trains operated by Trenitalia were either delayed by up to four hours, rerouted or cancelled outright.
“It’s just been chaos as we try to figure out and navigate the station,” said American tourist Rachel Dame, who was travelling to Florence from Rome’s main Termini station, where screens displayed delays for most destinations.
The problems stemmed from the failure of an electric cabin that supplies energy to an intersection between Termini and Tiburtina stations in Rome at 6.20am local time, said Mr Gianpiero Strisciuglio, chief executive of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, which manages Italy’s railway infrastructure.
“The type of failure is rare,” Mr Strisciuglio told Italian radio, adding that the company is investigating the cause.
National rail company Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, which owns Trenitalia, said train traffic gradually resumed at the Rome intersection from around 9am. The intersection is a main crossroads for train services connecting Italy’s north and south.
Private high-speed rail company operator Italo said separately that it had cancelled 10 of its trips.
Mr Angelo Bonelli, an MP from the opposition Green Europe party, lamented the “constant breakdowns which cut Italy in two and burden workers and students”, urging Trenitalia and the government to act.
Transport disruption and delays are a common headache in Rome, a city undergoing a facelift as it prepares to host up to 32 million tourists during the 2025 Roman Catholic Holy Year.
A commuter, who gave his name only as Mr Luca, said: “All it takes is for a train to break down at six in the morning and maybe until noon the line won’t run.”
Ferrovie dello Stato expects delays to progressively reduce and return to normal over the course of the day. REUTERS
