ROME, Feb 7 (Reuters) – Saboteurs damaged railway infrastructure near the northern Italian city of Bologna on Saturday morning, disrupting train travel on the first full day of the Winter Olympics, the Ministry of Transport said.
Police reported three separate incidents in different locations, which caused delays of up to two and a half hours on high-speed, intercity and regional services.
The ministry called the act “serious sabotage,” adding that it echoed the opening day of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, when saboteurs attacked France’s TGV high-speed rail network, causing travel chaos.
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“These unprecedentedly serious actions do not in any way tarnish Italy’s image in the world, an image that the Games will make even more attractive and positive,” said the ministry, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.
State railway Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) had to temporarily close its high-speed station in Bologna, but traffic was slowly returning to normal on Saturday afternoon, the ministry said.
Police said a cabin housing a railway switch was set on fire before dawn near the city of Pesaro on the Adriatic coast. Several hours later, electrical cables used to detect the speed of trains were found cut in Bologna, while a rudimentary explosive device was discovered on a track at a nearby location.
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A spokeswoman said no one took responsibility for the incidents, which appear to have been coordinated.
Bologna is an important junction for Italy’s east-west railway lines and is also the main hub linking the south with northern cities such as Milan and Venice.
Milan hosts the Winter Games along with Cortina, which can be reached by train from Venice.
(Reporting by Crispian Balmer)
