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Passengers in Italy face delays as major rail works announced in August

Tourists were warned to expect long delays and disruption to high-speed services throughout August as Italy's rail management company announced “enhancement works” taking place on many major routes.

Published: 1 August 2024 12:15 CEST
Passengers wait for their train on a platform of Milan's Centrale station in July 2023
Passengers wait for their train on a platform of Milan's Centrale station in July 2023. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Passengers of high-speed trains across Italy were set to face increased travel times of over two hours, route changes and cancellations in August due to “infrastructure enhancement works aimed at increasing the frequency and quality of future services,” a statement from state-owned rail management company Ferrovie dello Stato said on Wednesday.

The works were expected to affect services run by both national operator Trenitalia and private company Italo.

The “worst-affected routes” would be the Turin-Milan-Venice, Milan-Bologna and Rome-Florence lines, the statement said.

The Verona-Vicenza section of the high-speed Milan-Venice route was scheduled to shut for three weeks, from Wednesday, July 31st to Tuesday, August 20th, with the closure resulting in increased travel times “of up to 90 minutes from Venice to Milan and 150 minutes in the opposite direction.”

Service on the high-speed line connecting Milan to Bologna was set to be “partly interrupted” from Monday, August 12th to Sunday, August 18th, with travel times increasing by up to two hours. 

The Chiusi-Orvieto section on the Florence-Rome line was scheduled to close from Monday, August 12th to Friday, August 23rd, with the closure causing “schedule changes, cancellations or route changes” to both Frecce and Intercity trains, as well as longer travel times of up 80 minutes on some dates.

Cross-border routes transiting through Alpine passes were also set to experience “planned service interruptions” due to “upgrade and safety works,” with buses replacing the Milan-Geneva and Milan-Lucerne links up until September 8th.

Ferrovie dello Stato said on Wednesday that Trenitalia passengers had been informed of the scheduled changes via email or text message. 

Customers were also notified of the option to reschedule their journey or receive a full refund in the event of cancellations or delays exceeding 60 minutes, it said.

Passengers were advised to see the Works and Service Changes section of Trenitalia’s website for further information.

Private long-distance operator Italo also published updates on upcoming schedule and route changes on its website earlier this week.

Ferrovie dello Stato’s announcement sparked anger among consumer associations and members of the opposition on Wednesday. 

Senator Raffaella Paita, from centrist party Italia Viva, said “changing train schedules in the month of August, in the middle of the summer holidays, is simply madness”.

Announcing longer travel times of up to two hours on high-speed lines such as the Milan-Bologna one were an “incredible act of arrogance at the expense of holidaymakers and tourists,” she added.

Consumer association Codacons said it was “undeniable” that the changes would undermine the travel plans of “those who had planned to reach their vacation spots by train and the many tourists who will visit our country in August”. 

It also pointed out how the upcoming works would closely follow a spate of major technical issues registered by train operators across the country in July, with a total of 74 instances of delayed or suspended rail traffic recorded from July 16th and July 25th.

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TRAIN TRAVEL

What are your rights if a train is cancelled or delayed in Italy?

Disruption to a planned rail journey can ruin a holiday or business trip and cause a lot of stress, but often you're entitled to assistance and compensation.

Published: 2 August 2024 16:47 CEST
What are your rights if a train is cancelled or delayed in Italy?

Delays and disruptions are a part of the modern-day travel experience, and Italy’s railways are no exception.

This summer, travellers are more likely to run into problems than usual: Italy’s rail management company has announced major works throughout August which are expected to cause disruption and long delays on some of the country’s busiest routes.

Sure, it’s easy to say “just go with it” when delays and cancellations happen, especially if you’re on vacation – but a late or cancelled train can throw a monkey wrench into your well-oiled plans, as well as strain your pocketbook.

READ ALSO: Passengers in Italy face delays as major rail works announced in August

But if this happens to you, our advice is: don’t get mad. Get compensated.

Here’s what to know about refunds and compensation if your train journey in Italy gets delayed, interrupted or cancelled.

Know your rail rights

Passengers have specific and general rights as set out by Ferrovie dello Stato (RFI), Italy’s state-owned rail management company.

If you’re travelling on Trenitalia’s high-speed Frecce services and your train is delayed by between 30 to 59 minutes, passengers will be granted a voucher “equal to 25 percent of the original ticket price, which can be used within 12 months to purchase a new ticket,” according to Trenitalia’s website.

Suppose a delay exceeds 59 minutes on Frecce, Intercity, Intercity Notte (night) and regional trains. In that case, you are entitled to a compensation equal to 25 percent of the ticket price for a delay of 60 to 119 minutes; or 50 percent of the ticket price for a delay of at least 120 minutes.

The above covers Trenitalia regional transport trains, too.

Extraordinary events

According to Trenitalia, “passengers have the right to be informed of changes to their trip (cancellations, delays and so on) as soon as the information becomes available.”

“In particular cases and depending on the extent of the delay, whilst waiting to continue their journey, passengers are also entitled to food and drink along with hotel (or other) accommodation and transfers.”

In the event of a missed connection or cancellation, if the delay is of a duration of 60 minutes or more, you can opt to continue to your final destination via an alternative route (under similar transport conditions), postpone your journey to another date, or forego the trip entirely and get a refund of your full ticket price.

And if the re-routing is not communicated to you within 100 minutes from the scheduled departure time of the train subject to the delay/cancellation and/or missed connection, you are within your right to organise an alternative itinerary with other transport providers – whether rail, coach or bus – and Trenitalia must reimburse you for the necessary, appropriate, and “reasonable” costs incurred.

The same goes for valid season tickets and travel pass holders.

Watch out for strikes

In the event of a strike (if you wish to cancel the journey), you can request a refund “from the declaration of the strike until the departure of the booked train,” according to Trenitalia.

READ ALSO: The transport strikes to expect in summer 2024

There’s an app for that

When it comes to claiming your refund or compensation, the procedure varies slightly depending on the rail company you’re travelling with.

Passengers travelling with Trenitalia can request a refund at the station, by completing this web form, online at the Customer Area on the official website, or the Trenitalia mobile app.

For Italo high-speed train customers experiencing delays equal to or greater than 60 minutes, partial refunds are automatically issued. See details here.

If you made rail reservations on a third-party booking site, contact the company directly for questions about their refund policy.

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