by InTrieste
The historic Opicina tram in Trieste is expected to return to service in mid-June, according to the operator Trieste Trasporti, as maintenance and infrastructure works continue along the line following a months-long suspension.
Work began on January 15 and is proceeding on schedule. The intervention follows technical issues linked to an October incident in which a traction cable came off the system, prompting the suspension of service. Repairs addressing the immediate cause were completed in December.
Although the line could have reopened at that point, Trieste Trasporti and the city administration—the Comune di Trieste—opted instead to advance the legally required five-year overhaul of the funicular system, aiming to consolidate maintenance and avoid another shutdown in the near term.
Further works coordinated with Italy’s transport safety authority, ANFISA, include inspections of the overhead contact line and scheduled rail replacement at key sections, including the Obelisco curve and the Banne level crossing. New route signage is also being installed.
A new stop at Piazza Casali is also planned and may be completed after operations resume. Weather delays and the required pre-operational testing phase have also been factored into the revised timeline.
Trieste Trasporti estimates the tram will be ready to resume service by mid-June, following final testing and certification.
When service restarts, the city-center terminus will temporarily be relocated to Piazza Dalmazia. The change is linked to ongoing procedures for the redevelopment of the historic terminus at Piazza Oberdan, where a separate modernization project is being prepared. The works are expected to be carried out while the tram remains in operation and completed by the end of the year.
