Italian authorities are on high alert after a series of serious incidents caused extensive delays to rail traffic in central Italy. The Minister of Transport spoke openly of “sabotage actions”, leaving open the possibility that they are linked in time and operationally to the launch in Milan and Cortina.
Italian Railways (FS) announced that serious damage to the railway infrastructure, attributed to acts of sabotage, had been found and had resulted in significant disruption to services, with traffic gradually being restored.
A police spokesman confirmed to AFP that a fire at a signal tower on the Bologna-Venice line was probably due to arson, but no claim of responsibility has yet been made. At the same time, as reported by Reuters, cut electrical cables used to monitor the speed of trains were found in the Bologna area, while a crude improvised explosive device was also found near the railway tracks.
“The serious incidents of sabotage that took place this morning near Bologna and Pesaro stations and caused great inconvenience to thousands of travelers are extremely worrying,” said Matteo Salvini, underlining the seriousness of the situation.
The Italian minister, in fact, recalled the sabotage that had paralyzed the French high-speed train network a few hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris in July 2024. Asked if there were specific indications linking the recent incidents to the Milan-Cortina Games, his representative said that “there are similarities both in the way of action and in the timing” in relation to the French precedent.
Salvini, head of the far-right League party and a member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition government, has assured that he is closely monitoring developments, while authorities’ investigations are in full swing and security measures at critical infrastructure are being strengthened.
