Italy’s peak summer getaway was disrupted on Friday as a 24-hour rail strike paralysed large sections of the network from 21:00 on 23 July until 20:59 on 24 July 2026. The walk-out, called by the grassroots unions CUB Trasporti and SGB, targeted both state-owned Trenitalia and the regional carrier Trenord, as well as Italo and freight operator Mercitalia. Services were guaranteed only during the legally protected rush-hour windows (06:00-09:00 and 18:00-21:00). In Lombardy, Trenord cancelled roughly two-thirds of its regional trains outside the guarantee slots. Milan’s Malpensa Express airport link ran replacement buses, extending journey times by up to 50 minutes. Naples reported delays of up to 90 minutes on incoming high-speed services, although departures remained largely on schedule. Freight movements through Verona’s Quadrante Europa hub ground to a near halt, forcing logistics companies to switch urgent loads onto road transport at premium cost. The unions are demanding tighter safety protocols after a string of workplace accidents and are protesting what they describe as the "outsourcing" of maintenance and on-board services. FS Group counters that it already invests €12 billion annually in network upgrades and rolling-stock renewal and accuses the organisers of choosing a date designed to maximise public inconvenience: the last Friday before the traditional ferragosto holiday exodus. For mobility managers the strike underscores the vulnerability of corporate travel plans that rely on Italy’s normally reliable high-speed rail grid. Companies with time-critical site visits or client meetings on 24 July had to scramble for rental cars; some multinationals activated remote-work contingencies for cross-regional staff. The walk-out also highlights the need to check ‘scioperi’ calendars published by the Transport Ministry and factor potential stoppages into assignment letters and service-level agreements with relocation suppliers. Although CUB and SGB have not scheduled a further rail strike in August, observers note that the unions have linked their protest to the broader 24 July multi-sector action affecting parts of local public transport and the maritime sector. Employers should therefore monitor announcements closely as the holiday period progresses.
Source: Rai News / ANSA composite
