Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

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.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

TRAVEL NEWS

The tram and metro closures to expect in Rome in autumn 2024

With preparations underway for the 2025 Jubilee, all of Rome’s tram lines are scheduled to shut for seven weeks this autumn, with the Metro A line also set to be subject to closures and limitations.

Published: 29 August 2024 11:50 CEST
The tram and metro closures to expect in Rome in autumn 2024

As Rome prepares itself for an influx of millions of additional tourists for the upcoming 2025 Jubilee year, the city is carrying out substantial work on its public transport system.

In particular, the 100-year-old Porta Maggiore tram depot will be upgraded to accommodate the city’s new 33-metre trams, according to Rome’s public transport operator Atac.

All 27 stops on the city’s most popular line, Metro A, are also undergoing renovations as part of a €55-million investment that will see some of the stations fitted with a ‘vertical forest’ wall, new LED lights and overhead mirrors.

Rome’s Transport Councillor Eugenio Patanè said the interventions are “fundamental to allow public transport to return to its full efficiency”.

Here’s what to look out for this month:

Trams

September 1st to September 15th: Line 3 will only run from Porta Maggiore to Valle Giulia, with replacement bus services operating between Trastevere station and Porta Maggiore.

Line 5 services on the Via Prenestina-Piazza dei Gerani section will be replaced by bus 519. 

Line 8 will be completely replaced by buses.

Lines 2 and 14 will be running as usual.

September 16th to November 3rd: All of Rome’s tram lines will be out of service and replaced by buses, according to Atac.

Closures will last longer for lines 2, 5 and 8, which will be completely out of service until December 1st.

Metro

The Ottaviano stop, on the Metro A line, is scheduled to reopen on September 9th after closing for renovation work on July 22nd.

The Spagna stop, on the same line, will reopen on October 3rd after being closed for over two months.

The Furio Camillo stop, once again on the Metro A line, will remain closed until November 6th.

Metro A services will continue to end at 9.00pm instead of 11.30pm from Sunday to Thursday until December 5th. Replacement buses are already in service.

Public transport strikes

Multiple nationwide public transport strikes have been called for the coming weeks, with the first walkout planned for Sunday, September 8th. 

These protests may affect the normal operation of Rome’s public transport network.

However, under Italian law, public transport companies are required to guarantee a number of essential services (servizi minimi) during walkouts. 

These generally run at peak commute times, meaning that, even in the case of highly disruptive strikes, commuters can still reach their destination (though services may be far more crowded than usual). 

For more information on Rome’s public transport closures, see the Atac website.

SHOW COMMENTS