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STRIKES

Will Italy’s strikes on Friday affect the Ryder Cup in Rome?

A quarter of a million visitors are expected in Rome this weekend for the first Ryder Cup golf tournament ever to be held in Italy, but will they face transport strikes in the city?

Published: 28 September 2023 17:04 CEST
Will Italy's strikes on Friday affect the Ryder Cup in Rome?
A practice session ahead of the 44th Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome on September 28, 2023. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Players from Europe and the United States will battle it out between Friday and Sunday in the Cup’s 44th edition, to be held at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome.

But with reports of transport strikes in the news, people visiting Rome this weekend may be concerned that their plans will be disrupted.

Strikes now look unlikely to cause disruption in the city of Rome itself, after a 24-hour public transport strike planned for Friday was postponed until October 9th.

Airport strikes

Friday may however be a difficult day for air travel to or from Italy, with more than one strike by airport and airline staff set to go ahead within the same 24-hour period.

It remains unclear ahead of the strikes how disruptive they may turn out to be, and whether this could lead to any significant delays at Italian airports.

STRIKES: How will flights and transport in Italy be affected on Friday?

Aeroporti di Roma, the management company running Rome’s two airports, Ciampino and Fiumicino, had not announced any likely disruption as of Thursday afternoon, only warning passengers flying on Friday to check the status of their flight with their airline before setting off.

Flights scheduled to depart between 7am and 10am and between 6pm and 9pm are protected from strikes under Italian law, and should go ahead as usual on Friday. 

Italy’s civil aviation authority Enac has published a list of flights guaranteed to go ahead on Friday on its website.

(Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP)

Public transport

Strikes shouldn’t cause any particular problems with getting around Rome by public transport during the tournament.

However, there is a closure on part of the metro line this weekend which could complicate things for passengers.

Rome’s metro B1, a branch of the B line, will be shut from September 28th until October 1st.

This line serves four stations, from Piazza Bologna to Jonio, in the north-east of the capital, close to the Marco Simone golf course.

The city transport authority ATAC said the closure was urgently needed in order to carry out repair work on overhead lines, and that the B1 line will be replaced by shuttle buses in the meantime.

Rome meanwhile plans to increase the frequency of metro trains on the B line to once every five minutes for the duration of the Ryder Cup.

The city has also announced free shuttle buses will be laid on between Marco Simone and the train stations Ponte Mammolo (Metro B) and La Rustica UIR (FL2 railway) over the weekend.

Find more information on Rome city council’s Ryder Cup event website.

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For members

STRIKES

What to expect from Italy’s nationwide rail strike on Sunday

Train passengers in Italy may face disruption on Sunday, June 16th, as staff at railway operators including Trenitalia and Trenord plan a 23-hour strike.

Published: 13 June 2024 10:34 CEST
Updated: 14 June 2024 14:25 CEST
What to expect from Italy’s nationwide rail strike on Sunday

Anyone planning to travel by train this weekend could face delays or cancellations as staff at state-owned railway operators Trenitalia, Trenord and Trenitalia Tper plan to strike from 3am on Sunday, June 16th to 2am on Monday, June 17th, for a total of 23 hours.

The walkout was called by the PdM/PdB transport union in early May to demand the renewal of collective labour agreements in the rail transport sector.

Originally scheduled for Sunday, May 19th, the protest was later postponed to June 16th following a government injunction citing public safety concerns due to an overlap with the Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix.

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 minimum 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.

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

The operator advised passengers planning to travel on Sunday to check the status of their journey via the Infomobilità section of their website, their mobile app, or by calling toll-free number 800 89 20 21.

Passengers who have booked Intercity or Frecce journeys for Sunday and wish to cancel their trips will have until the scheduled departure time to request a refund. 

Passengers who have purchased regional train tickets will have to submit their refund requests by midnight on Saturday.

Trenord

Trenord, which operates a number of regional trains in the Lombardy region, including links to and from Milan’s Malpensa Airport, said that the walkout “may have repercussions” on all of their scheduled services.

People board a regional train at Milan's Stazione Centrale

People board a regional train at Milan’s Stazione Centrale. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Trenord 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 or mobile app for the latest updates.

Trenitalia Tper

Trenitalia Tper, which operates a number of trains in the Emilia-Romagna region, said that their services “may experience cancellations or changes” due to the walkout. 

Passengers travelling before the start or after the end of the protest may also face disruption, the statement said.

Trenitalia Tper will guarantee the operation of a number of minimum services (servizi minimi) during the day. These can be consulted here.

See their website for the latest updates.

Italo

A statement from Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, which owns and manages all of Italy’s railway network, said the walkout will only involve staff at state-owned operators Trenitalia, Trenitalia Tper and Trenord, meaning that scheduled services from private long-distance operator Italo will go ahead as normal on Sunday. 

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.

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