Holiday travellers faced hours-long delays on December 24 after separate electrical faults crippled key Italian rail corridors. According to infrastructure manager RFI, a power-supply failure near San Severo froze traffic on the Adriatic main line between Pescara and Bari from mid-afternoon, adding up to 60 minutes to Intercity and Frecciarossa journeys and forcing at least one Milan–Lecce train to run over an hour late.
Almost simultaneously, a cable fault at Alice Castello disrupted the Turin–Milan high-speed link, forcing Alta Velocità trains onto the slower conventional tracks. Passengers reported delays of 50–70 minutes, while technicians worked until 18:30 to restore full capacity. A third glitch in the Naples node compounded the nationwide knock-on effect.
![Christmas-Eve rail chaos: technical failures hit Pescara–Bari and Turin–Milan high-speed lines]()
For international visitors suddenly needing to juggle itineraries—or even extend their stay—because of these rail disruptions, VisaHQ can quickly untangle any last-minute visa or residence-permit questions. Its Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) lets travellers check requirements, lodge applications and track approvals online, so they can focus on rearranging trains instead of paperwork.
The timing could not be worse: Trenitalia expected record demand on Christmas Eve, with business travellers, expatriate workers and tourists heading south. Airlines had limited spare seats due to earlier strike-related schedule trims, making rail the primary domestic option.
Trenitalia has activated its Smart-Caring notifications and reminded passengers that compensation is automatic for delays over 60 minutes on AV services. Mobility managers should advise assignees to build extra buffers for north-south trips through December 26, when residual congestion is still likely.
Almost simultaneously, a cable fault at Alice Castello disrupted the Turin–Milan high-speed link, forcing Alta Velocità trains onto the slower conventional tracks. Passengers reported delays of 50–70 minutes, while technicians worked until 18:30 to restore full capacity. A third glitch in the Naples node compounded the nationwide knock-on effect.
For international visitors suddenly needing to juggle itineraries—or even extend their stay—because of these rail disruptions, VisaHQ can quickly untangle any last-minute visa or residence-permit questions. Its Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) lets travellers check requirements, lodge applications and track approvals online, so they can focus on rearranging trains instead of paperwork.
The timing could not be worse: Trenitalia expected record demand on Christmas Eve, with business travellers, expatriate workers and tourists heading south. Airlines had limited spare seats due to earlier strike-related schedule trims, making rail the primary domestic option.
Trenitalia has activated its Smart-Caring notifications and reminded passengers that compensation is automatic for delays over 60 minutes on AV services. Mobility managers should advise assignees to build extra buffers for north-south trips through December 26, when residual congestion is still likely.
