Derailed Train. Photo illustration: Shutterstock Pure terror was recorded this morning (August 3, 2026) at 5:10 AM on the regional train line connecting Rome and Florence, when a passenger train loaded with about 450 people collided violently with two cows that had invaded the tracks and was thrown completely off the tracks.
The train was making its way early in the morning from the northern stations towards the capital's Roma Tiburtina station, when suddenly the two cows emerged straight into the center of the track.
The driver had no chance to brake and the head-on collision was inevitable. The force of the impact tore the front carriages off the tracks and fell to the ground, crushing infrastructure and only stopping near the Fiana Bella station. Passengers were thrown from side to side to the sound of explosions and screams of terror.
The state-run railway company Trenitalia released a statement confirming that rescue forces were immediately dispatched to the scene to treat the approximately 450 passengers on the train. Emergency crews arrived quickly and began evacuating the terrified and shocked passengers directly onto the tracks, where they were safely transferred to a replacement train that was sent to rescue them. The horrific incident ended remarkably without any physical injuries.
The National Railway Infrastructure Company (RFI) issued an unusual official statement confirming that train traffic on the line had been completely stopped as of the early hours of the accident.
The serious accident left behind a complete traffic jam and widespread cancellations at all stations along the route. The company is operating an emergency system of replacement buses to transport the masses of stranded passengers.