Cable theft on Rome-Naples high-speed line causes 90-minute delays, a day after Milan-Bologna blackout
A second day of chaos on Italy's high-speed network saw the Rome-Naples line crippled by a cable theft near Caserta, forcing trains onto slower conventional tracks and adding up to 90 minutes to journeys.
Second disruption in 24 hours
Italy's high-speed rail network suffered its second major failure in as many days on Thursday, when unknown individuals stole cables from the Rome-Naples line near Tora e Piccilli, in the province of Caserta. The theft, reported at 6:50 a.m., forced Trenitalia to reroute high-speed trains onto the conventional line via Formia, extending travel times by as much as 90 minutes. Two services were directly affected: the 6:00 a.m. Florence–Naples and the 7:45 a.m. Naples–Milan.
Restoration and residual delays
Technicians from Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) intervened quickly, and by 8:30 a.m. circulation on the high-speed line was declared regular again, according to Trenitalia. However, the delays accumulated during the morning peak continued to ripple through the timetable. A further improvement was noted around 9:45 a.m., but thousands of passengers between Campania, Lazio, Tuscany and Lombardy faced a difficult start to the day.
The Milan-Bologna precedent
The new incident came less than a day after an electrical fault on the Milan-Bologna high-speed line brought traffic to a standstill for roughly six hours on Wednesday. The fault, near Livraga in the province of Lodi, sparked a brush fire that firefighters extinguished with two tankers and two forest-fire modules. Two high-speed trains were stranded; a 44-year-old female passenger received assistance but did not require hospitalisation. RFI restored one southbound track at 4:20 p.m., but delays on that line had reached nearly 300 minutes, prompting Trenitalia to offer full ticket refunds.
- Electrical fault on Milan-Bologna line near Livraga; line suspended, brush fire breaks out.
- RFI restores one southbound track on Milan-Bologna line; gradual resumption begins.
- Cable theft on Rome-Naples line near Tora e Piccilli; trains diverted via Formia.
- Trenitalia declares circulation regular on Rome-Naples line, but delays persist.
- Further improvement reported on Rome-Naples line.
Political reaction
Transport Minister Matteo Salvini expressed irritation with Trenitalia's management after Wednesday's disruption and demanded a detailed report on network efficiency ahead of the summer season, along with firm timelines for a return to normal service. The opposition responded sharply.
The Democratic Party leader's comment underscored the political sensitivity of repeated rail failures.It's time he understands that it's the Italians who are irritated.
Sabotage concerns
Investigators are examining whether the Caserta cable theft is ordinary copper crime or a deliberate act of sabotage. The incident followed the recent arrests of anarchist militants suspected of involvement in attacks and sabotage targeting railway infrastructure, according to reports citing multiple prosecutors' offices. The temporal coincidence has raised security alarms beyond the immediate inconvenience to travellers.
