Stoppage necessary to upgrade stretch of railway on high-speed line.
High-speed train services between Rome and Florence will be suspended over the weekend of 11-12 April as rail infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) carries out work.
The suspension is required to activate European Train Control System (ERTMS) technology on the Orvieto–Settebagni section – the last stretch of the Rome–Florence high-speed line to be brought into line with the European rail traffic management system.
Neither Frecciarossa nor Italo high-speed services will be able to use the line from midnight on Saturday 11 April until 15.00 on Sunday 12 April.
The conventional line between Rome and Florence will also be unavailable during this period: the Rovezzano-Settebagni section of the high-speed line is closed from midnight on Saturday, while the Orte-Roma Tiburtina section of the conventional line is suspended from 14.00 on Saturday until 05.00 on Sunday.
From 15.00 on Sunday 12 April, services will resume but with an initially reduced timetable and extended journey times, as some trains will be rerouted via the alternative Tyrrhenian coastal line rather than the high-speed route.
The railway closures will result in reduced services continuing into Monday 13 April, RFI said in a statement, with high-speed, intercity and regional services set to fully return to their normal schedules on Tuesday 14 April.
RFI has stated that only services reflecting the modified timetables and extended journey times will be available for purchase through ticketing channels, which are being updated.
The works represent a total investment of about €147 million, partly financed by PNRR funds. RFI has said the upgrade will improve the reliability of the infrastructure and the regularity and quality of services on the route once complete.
Passengers with travel plans involving the Rome-Florence line this weekend are advised to check updated timetables on the Trenitalia and Italo ticketing platforms before travelling.
Separately, a national 24-hour strike by RFI staff on Saturday could result in disruption to intercity, regional and high-speed rail services across Italy.
