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STRIKES

How Italy’s public transport strike is affecting travel on Thursday

Commuters in Italian cities including Rome and Milan are set to face delays and cancellations on Thursday, July 18th, due to a nationwide strike affecting local transport services.

Published: 17 July 2024 09:16 CEST
Updated: 18 July 2024 09:08 CEST
A woman waits at a bus stop in central Rome's Piazza Venezia during a 24-hour national public transport strike on June 16, 2017.
A woman waits at a bus stop in central Rome's Piazza Venezia during a national public transport strike. Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP.

The timing of the four-hour strike by staff at public transport companies around Italy on Thursday is set to vary from city to city.

The protest, which is backed by some of Italy’s largest transport unions, was called in mid-June to demand the renewal of collective labour agreements, according to a statement from union Filt Cgil.

It is set to affect all types of local public transport, from surface services (bus, trams, commuter trains and ferries) to underground metro lines, but won’t affect long-distance rail services. 

READ ALSO: Key dates: The transport strikes to expect in Italy in summer 2024

Taxi services around the country won’t be affected by the strike either.

The level of disruption faced by passengers will depend on the number of transport workers participating in the protest in each part of the country.

According to the latest media reports, commuters in major cities including Milan, Florence, Rome and Naples are all likely to experience at least some level of disruption on Thursday, though the strike may also have an impact in smaller cities and towns.

Milan’s major public transport operator ATM said that the strike may affect the normal operation of its services from 8.45am to 12.45pm.

Services by Trenord, which operates a number of regional trains in the northern Lombardy province, including airport links to and from Milan Linate and Milan Malpensa, may also be affected by the walkout from 9am to 1pm, according to a statement.

Should airport link services be cancelled, replacement buses will run the same routes, Trenord said. 

People commute on a tram near the Duomo Cathedral in Milan, on February 13, 2024. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP)

In Rome, public transport operator Atac said that the walkout may disrupt services scheduled from 8.30am to 12.30pm.

Atac also said that the normal operation of buses run by Roma Tpl and Autoservizi Troiani/Sap may be affected by the strike over the same time window, but didn’t provide further information.

Autolinee Toscane, which operates a number of urban and suburban buses in the Florence metropolitan area, said that the protest may impact any services from 6pm to 10pm. 

Tram lines run by Gest may also experience disruption from 9.30am to 11.30am, according to a company statement.

In Naples, public transport operator Anm said that tram and metro services scheduled from 11.30am to 3.30pm may not go ahead as normal due to the strike.

Anyone planning to travel by public transport in Italy on Thursday is advised to leave extra time for their journey and check the status of their service with the local operator before setting off.

Passengers are advised to check the live status of local services on the transport company’s website or social media accounts on the day of the strike.

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

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DISCOVER ITALY

Where Italy’s ‘tourist trains’ can take you this summer

Italy's national rail company has announced four new routes for both Italian and international holidaymakers to take advantage of this summer.

Published: 24 July 2024 12:08 CEST
Where Italy's 'tourist trains' can take you this summer

Late last year, the Italian state-owned railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) announced plans to introduce several new tourist-focused services, known as Treni Turistici Italiani, on some popular routes as well as lesser known itineraries.

The new lines were first announced shortly after FS launched a special direct service last summer linking Rome with the ancient archaeological site of Pompeii, a journey which previously required changing to a local stopping service.

Now, four new long-distance summer routes have been announced: two departing from Rome and two from Milan, heading to some well-known Italian (and French) summer resorts and taking in smaller towns along the way.

The project comes at a time when Italy is struggling to manage overtourism at hotspots like Rome, Venice and Florence.

READ ALSO: Nine alternative places you have to visit in Italy

The initiative is hoped to encourage more people to travel beyond the major cities and best-known destinations, FS said in a statement on its website when the scheme was first announced.

Whether you live in Italy or are passing through, here are the seasonal FS tourist train itineraries you can take advantage of this summer:

Espresso Cadore night train from Rome to Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites.

Outbound journeys are on Tuesday and Friday evenings and return journeys on Wednesday and Saturday evenings on various dates in July and August.

A view from Lake Sorapis in the Cortina d’Ampezzo area. Photo by Sander Lenaerts on Unsplash

Passengers have the option to book a single or double bed compartment or a bunk in a four-to-six person cabin, with a three-course dinner included for the former and charged at €45 for the latter, and breakfast included for all.

Prices currently range from €80 for a one-way ticket in a shared six-person cabin to €192.50 for a one-way ticket in a private single compartment.

Espresso Salento night train from Rome to Lecce in Puglia.

Running for just eight days over the course of two weeks in July and August: outgoing journeys on July 18th and 25th and August 13th and 22nd, return journeys on July 19th and 26th and August 14th and 23rd.

Sleeping and dining options are on the same basis as the Espresso Cadore.

Prices currently range from €44.50 for a one-way ticket in a shared four-person cabin to €109.50 for a one-way ticket in a private single compartment.

Espresso Versilia train from Milan to the Cinque Terre, Pisa and the Tuscan beaches of Versilia (Livorno).

Trains depart from Milan’s Stazione Centrale every Tuesday and Thursday morning from August 6th until September 26th, arriving in Livorno via Pisa and the Cinque Terre mid-afternoon, with return journeys on the same evenings.

One-way tickets currently cost €89 second class or €119 first class (inclusive of lunch and dinner), with a 50 percent discount on those prices available for tickets booked up to 48 hours before the train’s departure with the TTI Special offer.

Cala del Leone beach in Livorno. Photo by Oscar Campbell on Unsplash

Espresso Riviera train from Milan to Nice via Ventimiglia

Trains depart from Milan every Saturday and Sunday morning from August 4th to September 1st, returning from Nice the same evenings.

Journeys to and from Ventimiglia by the French border are scheduled to run for an additional week until September 8th.

Booking is not yet available as of late July; check back on the Trenitalia website for pricing.

Historic trains

If the train journey itself is the most exciting part of a trip for you, you’ll want to check out FS’s Treni Storici or ‘Historic Trains’ routes.

Featuring restored vintage locomotives, this service offers dozens of shorter scenic itineraries in locations across the north of the country and around Naples and Siena at very affordable rates.

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