Genoa: Train conductor stabbed by 21-year-old Egyptian. Railway workers strike begins.

In an episode of violence on a regional train, a 40-year-old train conductor was seriously injured while he was checking passengers' tickets. The attack occurred on board a train departing from Genova Brignole and headed to Busalla, near the Rivarolo station. The perpetrators of the attack, a 21-year-old man and a minor, were stopped by the police. This latest episode of violence on public transport has raised a wave of indignation and led unions to call a national strike in the railway sector.

The fact

The train conductor was carrying out the usual ticket checks when he asked two young passengers, a 21-year-old Egyptian boy, Fares Kamel Salem Alshahhat, and an Italian girl of North African origin, to show their travel documents. When asked, the two reacted aggressively, refusing to pay for the ticket. The situation quickly degenerated when the train conductor asked the two to get off the train. According to reconstructions, the girl began to swear, spitting and hitting the train conductor, while the boy lashed out at a female passenger who was witnessing the scene. The violence culminated when, after getting off the train, the train conductor was stabbed once or twice in the side by the 21-year-old. The man was then transported in red code to the Villa Scassi hospital in Sampierdarena, but fortunately the stab wounds did not affect vital organs and the train conductor is not in danger of life.

Intervention by the Authorities and note by Trenitalia

The train was stopped and the police, who intervened promptly, arrested the young attacker and detained the girl, who was reported for assault and resisting a public official. Train traffic was slowed for over an hour to allow for the necessary investigation.

Trenitalia released a statement condemning the incident, calling it “unacceptable.” Trenitalia CEO Luigi Corradi expressed solidarity with the injured train conductor, emphasizing the company’s daily commitment to the safety of workers and passengers.

National Railway Workers' Strike

In response to the attack, the main unions in the railway sector – Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Ugl Ferrovieri, Fast Confsal and Orsa Trasporti – have called an eight-hour national strike for tomorrow, November 5, from 9:01 to 16:59. The strike will involve the mobile staff of the transport companies Trenitalia, Fs Security, Trenord, Trenitalia Tper and Italo Ntv. The unions have stressed that this attack is only the latest in a long series of acts of violence that have affected railway staff in recent months.

In a joint statement, the unions stated: “In view of the violent and repeated attacks on mobile staff recorded in recent months and already publicly reported, we note that no intervention to protect staff has been appreciated, nor has greater control of trains by the police. The seriousness and intolerability of these episodes does not allow for delay and requires firm and decisive intervention to protect the safety and security of the workers who provide service to the community on a daily basis.”

Political reactions

The attack also prompted a reaction from Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, who expressed solidarity with the injured train conductor and promised zero tolerance for the perpetrators of the attack. On X (formerly Twitter), Salvini wrote: “Full solidarity with the injured man, currently in serious condition. And now no clemency for those responsible: acts like this must not go unpunished.” The minister added that the government is working to increase security on trains and in railway stations, stressing its commitment to combating illegal immigration, which he said is frequently at the root of violent episodes like this.

Requests for greater security and controls

The episode has brought the debate on the safety of public transport workers and passengers back to the forefront, highlighting the need for more effective preventive measures. Unions had already raised the alarm in the past about the growing frequency of attacks on railway personnel and had requested an increase in the presence of law enforcement on board trains. This request was reiterated on the occasion of the Genoa incident, hoping that institutions and railway companies would respond promptly to the situation with concrete measures.

The stabbing of the train conductor and the subsequent strike announcement are the reflection of a growing safety problem on Italian trains, especially on regional routes. The impact of violence on workers and the climate of insecurity perceived by passengers make it urgent to intervene at an institutional level to ensure a safer and more efficient transport service. The response to this emergency, through the strike and declarations of solidarity, reflects the frustration of workers, who are calling for concrete and timely actions to prevent similar episodes in the future.