Mattarella joins Andria ceremony marking 10 years since Puglia train crash that killed 23
President Sergio Mattarella laid a wreath and greeted victims' families in Andria on the 10th anniversary of the head-on collision that killed 23 and injured 51 on the single-track Andria-Corato line.
Ceremony at Andria station
President Sergio Mattarella attended the commemoration in Andria on 12 July 2026, exactly ten years after the Ferrotramviaria train disaster. He was received by Apulia Region president Antonio Decaro and Andria mayor Giovanna Bruno. As bells tolled 23 times at 11:05 local time, the names of the 23 victims were read aloud. Mattarella then placed a wreath of flowers at the memorial and personally shook hands with relatives and survivors. One family member tearfully greeted the head of state.
There are precise responsibilities.
The 2016 crash
On 12 July 2016, two regional trains collided head-on on the single-track Andria-Corato section operated by Ferrotramviaria. The stretch was governed by a telephone block system, under which station masters exchanged telegrams to authorize departures. According to the prosecution, the Andria station master, Vito Piccarreta, gave clearance at 10:45 for train ET1016 to leave Corato, but then dispatched train ET1021 towards Corato at 11:00 without waiting for the incoming train to arrive. The two trains met at high speed at 11:05. The crash killed 23 people and left 51 others wounded.
Legal proceedings
In first and second-instance rulings, the court attributed the accident to human error. Station master Vito Piccarreta was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison, while train conductor Nicola Lorizzo, aboard the Andria-departing train, received a sentence of 6 years and 9 months. Ferrotramviaria was cleared of administrative liability, and the other 14 defendants were acquitted. The case is scheduled to reach the Court of Cassation on 7 October 2026.
- Head-on collision on Andria-Corato line kills 23 and injures 51.
- Line reopens after seven-year suspension, now with double track.
- President Mattarella attends 10th anniversary ceremony in Andria.
- Court of Cassation hearing scheduled for the two convicted railway staff.
Aftermath and renewed service
Rail traffic on the Andria-Corato line was suspended immediately after the disaster. It resumed only on 3 April 2023, nearly seven years later, after the single track was replaced by a double-track configuration. The memorial service on the decennial anniversary drew national attention to the slow pace of infrastructure modernisation on regional lines.
