Railways: work begins on the Florence junction – services suspended and possible delays

Long-distance train services will, however, continue to run via the Tyrrhenian line, on which two trains per hour on the Rome–Milan/Turin route will be diverted. For these services, increases in journey times of up to approximately two hours and thirty minutes are expected, and these have already been incorporated into the ticketing systems.

There will also be four trains per hour to or from Florence Santa Maria Novella, with connections to the north (Milan, Brescia, Bolzano and Venice), as well as three trains per hour to or from Florence Campo di Marte with connections to the south (Rome, Naples, Salerno, Reggio Calabria, Bari and Taranto).

For some trains, a bus service will operate between Firenze Santa Maria Novella and Firenze Campo di Marte stations to ensure that journeys can continue uninterrupted. In these cases, journey times will be extended by approximately one hour and thirty minutes.

All changes to timetables and routes are already available on the railway companies’ ticketing systems, enabling passengers to plan their journeys in advance.

“This is a national emergency implemented for the very safety of commuters. Ponte al Pino is 140 years old and needs to be replaced.” So said the Governor of Tuscany, Eugenio Giani, who has urged people to be aware of the suspension of train services between Florence’s Campo di Marte station and the central station of Santa Maria Novella, in force from 11 pm on Sunday 7 July until 4 am on 10 July, whilst work is carried out to replace the Ponte al Pino bridge. “We have advised everyone who can to work from home; those” among the people of Tuscany “who cannot and will be travelling to Florence should check the train timetables. These will be very difficult days” for Florence and Tuscany, says Giani.

Sunday 5 July was a day of potential disruption, including for air travellers. A national strike in the aviation sector is scheduled from 00.00 to 23.59 and could affect operations at Italian airports, particularly at Milan Malpensa and Milan Linate.

However, problems for travellers are set to continue over the coming days: the week from 6 to 12 July will be a busy one for industrial action, affecting local and intercity transport as well as trains.

Sunday’s industrial action in the aviation sector was called by Cub Trasporti to demand the renewal of the Assohandling national collective agreement – which expired over six months ago – and to call for a pay rise in line with inflation. The protest is being joined by a 24-hour strike by EasyJet cabin crew, a strike by Enav staff on duty at Malpensa, and other local industrial action, including a four-hour walkout by FedEx staff at Varese airport. According to Cub Trasporti, over 50 per cent of the flights affected by the strike have already been cancelled, with 84 cancellations at Malpensa and 23 at Linate. The airlines are gradually informing passengers.

ENAC points out that, during the strike, flights will still be guaranteed during the protected time slots – from 7 am to 10 am and from 6 pm to 9 pm – as well as those included in the list of guaranteed flights drawn up by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority.