This morning Rome she woke up to a decidedly unpleasant surprise: a railway breakdown ha paralyzed train traffic of Trenitalia to and from the stations of Terms e Tiburtine, with over a hundred trains cancelled e delays of up to 4 hours. To further complicate the situation, the information monitors at Termini were turned off, then restored, creating real chaos. "A private company hammered a nail into a cable. It is not possible to invest billions in new trains and infrastructure and then allow a trivial error to send half of Italy into a tailspin", explained the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini who in the meantime did not participate in the expected press conference dedicated to the launch of the new regional train brand.
Even if the circulation is gradually recovering around 9:30, the repercussions are still being felt on a large part of the national railway network. “Colleagues from Rfi and Trenitalia have mobilised promptly and in force to address the critical issues and impacts on rail traffic,” he declared Stefano Antonio Donnaruma, the CEO of the FS group.
Since Termini and Tiburtina are two crucial hubs for rail traffic, the failure had a knock-on effect on other stations and the entire high-speed network, with cancellations and delays involving many trains passing through the capital.
Trenitalia breakdown: what happened?
Trenitalia reported a “disconnection of the systems” as early as 6:30, preventing the regular flow of trains, without however providing further details. The blockage, which caused delays and cancellations for High Speed, Intercity and Regional trains in much of Italy, was attributed to a “failure rare that has affected the electrical cabin responsible for supplying circulation at the Rome hub". This was stated by the CEO and general manager of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, Gianpiero Strisciuglio, during the presentation of the new Trenitalia Regional brand. “It is right to apologize for the significant inconvenience of the day. We are a large company,” added the CEO of Rfi, “and we do not accept that this type of failure can occur, causing inconvenience during the hours of greatest traffic congestion in some areas such as the Rome hub, with effects that do not allow people's right to mobility.”
On its website, Trenitalia is updating Real-time list of cancelled trains and the overall situation. “Circulation is gradually recovering,” reads a note from Ferrovie dello Stato, “but traffic is severely slowed” with High Speed, Intercity and Regional trains that continue to suffer delays, cancellations and changes to their routes. Travelers are advised to reschedule their trips.
Cancelled and delayed trains: disruptions also in Bologna, Naples and Florence
The fault did not even spare the railway junction of Bologna, where cancellations and delays are recorded towards Milan, Torino e Venice, as well as Napoli Centrale, where some high-speed trains accumulate delays of up to 120 minutes. Also Florence Santa Maria Novella is crowded, with delays exceeding 140 minutes. In Umbria, the disconnection of the circulation systems had repercussions both on the route to Rome from Perugia and from Orvieto, causing limitations and delays.
In addition, further incidents have occurred faults on the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian lines, both resolved in a short time: on the Bologna-Ancona, traffic was delayed by up to 50 minutes, while on the Pisa-Rome Delays of up to 20 minutes were recorded due to a breakdown in Gavorrano.
Similar problems also occurred on the line Turin-Modane, between Chiomonte and Salbertrand, due to another fault that required the intervention of Rfi technicians. Trenitalia warns that regional trains could also be delayed up to 100 minutes.
Train delays and cancellations also for Italo
Due to the train failure, many Italian trains have suffered significant cancellations and delays. In particular, circulation between Rome Termini and Rome Tiburtina has been suspended since 06.30:XNUMX, causing changes to the itinerary and delays of up to three hours for Italo trains. Some services, explain on the place, such as those departing from Naples and headed to Venice, have been cancelled, and travellers can contact the Pronto Italo assistance service on 060708 to receive information, support and options for refunding or rescheduling their trip until 23pm today.
Donnarumma's comment on the case
In this context, the CEO of Fs took the opportunity to visit the operations room to personally observe the "methods, tools and resources" used in emergency situations. During his visit, he had the opportunity to interact with colleagues who proved to be "prepared and motivated", and he showed a keen interest in the improvement programs currently underway and those to come.
Finally, he reiterated the importance of the FS Group, defined as an internationally recognized excellence in the transport sector, stating that "all of us railway workers must continue to give our best to improve more and more with efficiency and effectiveness". He concluded by highlighting the need to know how to manage unforeseen events like this with "lucidity and professionalism".
Salvini explains the reason for the train breakdown: it's all the fault of a nail
The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini he pointed the finger at a private company for the delays that are driving commuters crazy: "They tell me that last night a private company hammered a nail into a cable. And the reaction time to this error? It was not up to the level of the second industrial power in Europe. The private company will be held accountable". But things don't stop there: the problem è structural and the disruptions are set to continue after a summer in fits and starts for Italian rail transport. The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport also announced that he had “asked for the names, surnames, addresses and tax codes of those who did not do their job, when this conclusion is reached I will know and you will know. I have asked for an inspection of the power supply units throughout Italy because at this point it is not possible that a private error can stop half of Italy,” concluded the minister.
Updated at 17:16 on Wednesday 2 October
