Altroconsumo: 'One in five high-speed trains is late'
Almost one in three Frecciarossa trains is delayed, while Italo trains once in five. The worst figure concerns Intercity trains, which record 40% delays
by Marco Morino
5' min read
Key points
5' min read
In Italy, at least one in five high-speed (Av) trains arrives late. This was revealed in a new survey by Altroconsumo, the largest independent consumer organisation in Italy and part of Euroconsumers, presented at the Chamber of Deputies. The study compares the performance of the main train routes: Italo does better than Frecciarossa (Ferrovie dello Stato), while Intercity trains are the most problematic, with 40 per cent of trains accumulating delays.
During the meeting, the contents of the bill signed by the Honourable Maria Chiara Gadda (Italia Viva) were presented. The bill introduces new measures to protect travellers, with particular reference to compensation due in the event of train disruptions.
Altroconsumo is committed to promoting fairer compensation for travellers who suffer inefficiencies. It has in fact launched a petition to ask the Italian and European authorities to raise the compensation percentages and lower the delay threshold for which the right to reimbursement of travel can be triggered. This would significantly increase the number of travellers entitled to compensation and provide more concrete and effective protection.
L’indagine
The Altroconsumo survey, conducted between 25 July and 5 September 2025, covered 54 routes, with over 28,000 surveys on Frecciarossa, Italo and Intercity services. In the high-speed segment, at least one train in five recorded delays and, for those routes where a comparison is possible, Italo performed better than Frecciarossa. The situation of the Intercity service is worrying, with delays averaging over 40%. For each monitored train, punctuality on arrival was measured. The analysis was carried out by monitoring for 43 days the information from the 'Monitor Arrivals/Departures live' web service of the Italian railway network (Rfi), a site open to the public, which allows the public to view departures and arrivals at stations and the accumulated delays. The analysis takes into account trains travelling between 6.00 am and 11.45 pm.
High-speed trains, says Altrocosumo, have been the leading service of the rail system for years now; they are the fastest and also the most expensive precisely because they are supposed to guarantee the journey in much shorter time. An example of this is the Milan-Bologna route, now covered in one hour compared to the approximately two hours offered by other types of train. The competitiveness of the Av line is undermined by the chronic lack of punctuality, as revealed by the Altroconsumo survey. Two competitors, Trenitalia and Italo, operate on the fast track: the study compared their punctuality levels.
