High Speed Train Service Disrupted

 

It’s best to take a regional train like the one pictured to avoid delays and shuttle bus service during the last week of July

Due to construction by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (Italian Railways or RFI) on the Ponte al Pino overpass, there is a four day suspension of high-speed trains between Campo di Marte and Santa Maria Novella (SMN) stations starting July 26. The stop is scheduled to end at 11 am on the morning of Thursday, July 30. 

Commuters and visitors should expect significantly longer travel times. Routes with connections in Rome, Milan, and Turin, many taking the Tirrenica line are projected to take an estimated two and a half hours. 

Trains, however, will still be coming and going frequently to both stations. Every hour there will be several trains departing or arriving at Santa Maria Novella with connections to Milan, Brescia, Bolzano, and Venice and three trains departing or arriving at Campo di Marte with connections in Rome, Naples, Salerno, Reggio Calabria, Bari, and Taranto.

To compensate for the inconvenience, a fleet of six shuttle buses has been made available to transport passengers on the Campo di Marte–Montelungo SMN routes. From July 27 to 30, the free shuttles are scheduled to run from 6 am to midnight, finishing at 1 pm on the afternoon of July 30. During peak travel hours (7 am to 8 pm) they will depart every six to eight minutes. 

Those arriving into Campo di Marte can board the shuttle outside the station on Via Mannelli. The bus will bring passengers to Piazza della Libertà where they can access the T2 tram line that goes directly to Santa Maria Novella. 

Passengers arriving into Santa Maria Novella can find the shuttles to Campo di Marte at viale Strozzi, between via Caduti di Nassiriya and the pedestrian crossing. They will be dropped off on viale Mazzini, between via Masaccio and via Mannelli. 

In addition to disruptions of the train lines, temporary parking restrictions near Ponte al Pino will be instituted while construction workers lay the new bridge deck. 

On the streets surrounding Campo di Marte, unauthorized vehicles will be unable to park on via Masaccio, between viale Mazzini and via Varchi. Parking and transit will be prohibited on via Mannelli between via Capo di Mondo and viale Mazzini. Similarly, in the Montelungo zone, there will be designated areas on viale Strozzi and via Guido Spadolini where only the shuttle buses are permitted to park. 

If you’re traveling by train during this period make sure to stay extra alert for any delays, cancellations or changes to the time table that may occur. (Francesca Negri)