Delays or cancellations to rail journeys are possible this weekend as staff at Italy’s two major long-distance rail operators have announced a coordinated strike from Saturday evening into Sunday.

Staff at state-owned railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (which includes Trenitalia and Trenord) and private long-distance operator Italo said they would strike from 9pm on Saturday, March 23rd to 9pm on Sunday, March 24th.

READ ALSO: Key dates: How Italy will be hit by transport strikes in March

The walkout was called by by two of the largest transport trade unions in the country, CUB and SGB, as well as the PDM/PDB National Assembly of rail workers, calling for better pay and contracts and better health and safety conditions at work.

The strike is expected to affect all types of rail travel, from long-distance services to regional and local ones, though the level of disruption will vary by city and operator.

Trenitalia

National rail operator Trenitalia said in a statement that the strike “may lead to service variations both before its start and after its end”.

Passengers are advised to check the status of their services via their mobile app or website during the day, or to contact the company toll free on 800 89 20 21.

You can find a list of minimum Trenitalia services guaranteed to go ahead even in the event of a strike on their website here.

Italo

Private long-distance operator Italo hasn’t provided concrete details as to how the walkout may affect their services.

However, they’ve released a list of services that will be protected from strike action (these are highlighted in green and marked as garantito).

The live status of Italo services can be found on their app or website. For further information, passengers are advised to call the (paid) customer helpline at 892020.

Trenord

Trenord, which operates regional trains in the Lombardy region, including connections to and from Milan’s Malpensa Airport, has said that “regional, suburban, long-distance and airport services may experience changes and/or cancellations” this weekend.

In the event that airport service trains are cancelled, replacement buses will run along the same routes. 

Replacement bus services will also be in place along the route of the Malpensa Express – Milano Cadorna service on Sunday for the Stramilano 2024 event.

See Trenord’s website or app for the latest updates.

What to do if your train is cancelled

If a pre-booked rail journey is cancelled due to strike action in Italy, passengers are normally allowed to travel on equivalent services. If no alternative service is available, passengers will be entitled to a refund.

Passengers travelling with Trenitalia will need to request a refund either at the railway station or by using this web form. For Italo, refunds are usually issued automatically.

Keep up with the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.