Passengers travelling across Italy by train may face delays or cancellations this weekend as staff at state-owned railway operator Ferrovie dello Stato, which includes Trenitalia, Trenord and Trenitalia Tper, and private company Italo plan to strike from 9pm on Saturday, July 6th, to 9pm Sunday, July 7th, for a total of 24 hours.
The walkout was called by three of Italy’s major transport unions in late May to demand better working conditions and an improvement of workplace safety protocols.
The protest is set to affect all types of rail travel, from long-distance services to regional and local ones, with the overall level of disruption expected to vary by city and operator.
While rail companies are legally required to guarantee the operation of a number of minimum services (servizi minimi) during strikes taking place on weekdays, there’s no such requirement for weekend walkouts.
This means that operators are free to decide whether or not to guarantee services for passengers.
Trenitalia
National rail operator Trenitalia said in a statement that their services “may experience cancellations or changes” for the entire length of the strike, though the protest may also “result in service variations both before its start and after its end”.
Trenitalia said it will operate a number of minimum services during the walkout. These are available here.
Passengers planning to travel with Trenitalia on Saturday or Sunday are advised to check the status of their journey via the Infomobilità section of Trenitalia’s website or mobile app, or by calling toll-free number 800 89 20 21.
Italo
Staff at private long-distance operator Italo are also expected to take part in the protest.
It was still unclear on Thursday exactly how the strike would impact the operator’s services, but delays and/or cancellations could not be ruled out.
Italo said it will guarantee the operation of a number of long-distance services during the walkout. You can find them highlighted in green in this table.
For further information, you can contact Italo’s support centre at 892 020.
Trenord
Trenord, which operates a number of regional trains in the Lombardy region, including connections to and from Milan’s Malpensa Airport, said it didn’t expect the walkout to have “significant repercussions” on their services.
Trenord also said it will not operate minimum services during the strike.
However, should airport link services be cancelled, replacement buses will run the same routes.
See Trenord’s website for the latest updates.
Trenitalia Tper
Services from Trenitalia Tper, which operates a number of trains in the Emilia-Romagna region, “may experience changes or cancellations” due to the walkout, according to a statement.
The operator hasn’t yet provided any information regarding possible guaranteed services.
See their website for the latest updates.
What to do if your train is cancelled
If a pre-booked rail service is cancelled due to strike action in Italy, passengers are normally allowed to travel on other equivalent services or are entitled to a refund.
Passengers travelling with Trenitalia can request a refund either at the station or by completing this web form, whereas Italo generally issues refunds automatically.
Keep up with the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.
Member comments