The train station in Rome. Photo: Shutterstock Passengers and tourists across Italy are preparing for a particularly difficult day, following the announcement of a widespread national strike on the railway system.
The general strike will begin tomorrow, Monday, at 9:18 PM, and will continue until Tuesday at 9:00 PM.
Italy is expected to experience severe disruptions, cancellations, and delays to its timetables, including those of most leading railway companies.
The strikes involve workers from the country's largest railway companies, including Gruppo FS, Trenitalia, Trenord and Trenitalia Tper. Train traffic is almost completely suspended in all geographical regions from north to south, with the exception of regional train crews in the provinces of Trento and Bolzano who have been excluded from this national strike, but will hold a separate local strike tomorrow, Monday, during the day between 09:01 and 17:00.
For the benefit of passengers who depend on public transport to get to work and school, specific time windows have been set in which guaranteed minimum train services will be operated.
Regional trains will operate as usual on weekdays during rush hours: in the mornings between 06:00 and 09:00, and in the evenings between 18:00 and 21:00. In addition, the railway companies operate a system of direct buses without intermediate stops between the central stations in Milan and Malpensa Airport, in the event of cancellation of the high-speed trains to the airport.
In any case, the railway companies urge the public to stay updated regularly and in real time on the official websites and apps of the various railway companies to get an accurate picture of specific train movements.
The railway companies emphasize that the effects of the strike may be felt on the ground and lead to changes in train traffic even before the official opening time of the sanctions, as well as in the first hours after their end.
Passengers who choose to cancel their trip due to the situation are entitled to a full refund; the refund request for high-speed and intercity trains can be submitted up to the original departure time of the train, while for regional trains the request must be submitted in advance by midnight of the day before the strike.