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Italian railway network: politics divided between the sabotage denounced by Salvini and the criticisms of the opposition

Italian railway network under attack, Salvini denounces malicious episodes and claims the results obtained with over 1.200 active construction sites in 2024

Italian railway network: politics divided between the sabotage denounced by Salvini and the criticisms of the opposition

During an urgent briefing to the House, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini has denounced a series of episodes of sabotage to the railway network Italian company, calling them a “worrying escalation“The attacks include arson, damage to power lines and actions claimed by anarcho-insurrectionist groups.

Arson attacks: details of recent incidents

Salvini recalled some significant events: on November 28, 2024, an arson attack at the Italfer Spa headquarters destroyed 17 company and private vehicles. Two days later, another blaze hit the carcasses of already damaged cars. On December 3, 2024, anarcho-insurrectionist blogs claimed responsibility for the actions.We waited to gather more precise information before publicly denouncing the situation“, explained the minister.

The opposition's opinion and the attack on the government

The secretary of the PD, Elly Schlein, has asked the government to apologize for the inconvenience caused by train delays, calculated by Democrats at an average of 20.000 minutes per day. Angelo Bonelli of the Green and Left Alliance accused Salvini of creating “ridiculous alibis” and to have allocated 87% of the infrastructure resources up to 2038 to the Strait Bridge.

In defense of the minister, Maurizio Lupi of Us Moderates has underlined theimportance of the right to mobility, criticizing those who minimize the sabotage. The undersecretary of the MIT, Tullio Ferrante (FdI), also invited the opposition not to speculate on such serious episodes.

The reaction to criticism

Despite the criticism, Salvini reiterated his determination: "As the Open Arms trial shows, I have broad shoulders and I will not stop if I think I am right. I am working for the good of Italy and the Italians."

The 1200 construction sites to modernise the railway network

Salvini then illustrated the numbers that highlight the work carried out in 2024: over 1.200 active construction sites, of which 700 for new works and 500 for maintenance.These interventions are essential to meet the deadlines of the PNRR and make the railway network more modern and efficient.“, declared the minister during his speech.

Investments in new works doubled compared to 2022, going from 2,8 billion to 5,6 billion euros. Trains in circulation increased by 15,54% in two years, while Maintenance work sites increased by 30%.

The consequences on traffic

The minister admitted that construction sites can cause disruption, but stressed that, unlike other European countries, Italy aims to minimize disruptions by ensuring alternative mobility.

Thanks expressed to employees and travellers

Salvini has concluded expressing gratitude towards the employees of the State Railways and the police forcesand, in addition to the "half a billion travellers who chose Italian trains in 2024".

Rete ferroviaria italiana: la politica divisa tra i sabotaggi denunciati da Salvini e le critiche dell'opposizione
The future of the Italian railway network

According to Salvini, Italy will not be intimidated: “The railway network has been under attack for years, but we continue to work to ensure safety and modernity“. However, there is no shortage of needs for theopposition, is continues to ask for concrete answers on the problems and a review of investment priorities.

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