by InTrieste
Passengers traveling by train in Italy on June 11 are being advised to prepare for possible delays and cancellations as railway workers stage a nationwide strike expected to affect services across the country.
The eight-hour walkout, scheduled from 9:01 a.m. to 5 p.m., has been called by several major transport unions, including Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Ugl Ferrovieri, Fast Confsal and Orsa Trasporti. The action is expected to impact both regional and long-distance rail services.
At the heart of the dispute is the Italian government’s proposal to restructure the country’s Intercity rail network. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport plans to open the service to competitive bidding, dividing operations into three separate contracts rather than maintaining a single national concession.
Union leaders argue that the proposed changes could put approximately 3,000 jobs at risk. They have expressed concern that the tender process does not include sufficient guarantees to protect workers currently employed by Trenitalia, the passenger rail operator owned by the state-controlled Ferrovie dello Stato group.
The unions have also raised broader concerns about the future of Italy’s rail sector. Among the issues cited are uncertainty surrounding infrastructure investment after the expiration of funding from Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), as well as the anticipated entry of the French rail operator SNCF into Italy’s high-speed rail market.
The transport ministry said it had been working to avert the strike and acknowledged the concerns raised by unions regarding the Intercity tender process.
The industrial action is expected to affect national rail services, including trains operated by Trenitalia. Urban public transportation networks, such as metro, bus and tram services, are not included in the strike and are expected to operate normally.
Rail passengers are encouraged to verify the status of their trains before traveling through the official websites and mobile applications of their rail operators and to monitor service updates throughout the day.
Additional information regarding transportation strikes in Italy is available through the transport ministry’s website.
