A large-scale railway workers’ strike will take place in Italy on September 7–8. Find out which trains will be canceled and how to get a refund for your ticket
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In Italy, major disruptions to train service are expected on September 7–8, 2026, due to a 24-hour strike by railway workers. The strike will begin on September 7 at 9:18 p.m. and last until 9:00 p.m. on September 8. The disruptions will affect Trenitalia, Italo, Trenord, and Trenitalia Tper, including the Frecce high-speed trains. This is reported by vivereinitalien.de.
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Which trains in Italy will be affected by the strike?
The strike will affect virtually the entire Italian rail network. Participants include the state-owned railway holding company Gruppo FS Italiane and its subsidiary Trenitalia, the private high-speed operator Italo, the regional railway Trenord in Lombardy, and Trenitalia Tper in Emilia-Romagna.
The strike is being supported by the labor unions CUB Trasporti, SGB, ORSA Ferrovie, and Assemblea nazionale del Personale di Macchina e di Bordo. Among the reasons cited for the strike are negotiations regarding wages, shift work conditions, workload, and safety standards.
The disruptions will not be limited to regional routes. The strike will also affect the Alta Velocità high-speed network, specifically the Frecce trains running between Turin, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, and Salerno.
Trenitalia has already published a list of trains that are guaranteed to run during the strike. Other trains may be canceled, rerouted, or delayed. Therefore, passengers planning a trip on September 7–8 should check the status of their specific train in advance and have an alternative route ready.
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When are trains in Italy guaranteed to run?
During the strike, the “fasce di garanzia” (guaranteed time slots) mandated by law will be in effect. On weekdays, basic regional service is guaranteed from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Trains classified as “servizi essenziali” (essential services) are required to run during these times. This primarily applies to commuter services around major cities, including Milan, Rome, Turin, Naples, and Bologna.
However, the general guaranteed service hours do not apply uniformly to long-distance routes and Alta Velocità high-speed trains. Each carrier individually determines and publishes a list of trains that will operate during the strike. Therefore, even if a train falls within the guaranteed time window, passengers should check the specific details of their trip on the carrier’s website or app.
Strikes by Italo, Trenitalia, and Trenord: Key Differences
The strike involves several operators at once, but the end times may vary slightly. For most carriers, the restrictions will last until 9:00 PM on September 8. For Italo, the strike will end one minute earlier—at 9:17 PM.
The biggest disruptions are expected on Tuesday, September 8, when the strike will be in effect all day.
However, during the night from Monday to Tuesday, the disruptions may also significantly affect passengers traveling on evening or night trains.
For long-distance trips, it is recommended not to rely solely on the general schedule, but to check the current status of your specific ticket and train immediately before departure.
Additional strikes are planned in Piedmont and South Tyrol
The national rail strike is not the only disruption to Italy’s transportation system during this period. In Piedmont and Trentino-South Tyrol, regional protests by rail workers are scheduled to take place simultaneously as early as Monday afternoon. In South Tyrol, city public transportation will also be suspended.
As a result, in some areas, service disruptions for buses and regional trains may begin as early as the afternoon of September 7—that is, even before the nationwide rail strike begins at 9:18 p.m.
According to the schedule from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation, other strikes are also planned in Italy throughout September: in public transportation on September 15, in the aviation sector on September 13 and 30, and a 24-hour general strike on September 26. Therefore, tourists planning a trip to Italy in September should take into account not only the specific date of their trip but also possible transportation disruptions along their entire route.
Will I get a refund for a canceled train?
If a train is canceled due to a strike, passengers in Italy are entitled to a full refund of the ticket price. Trenitalia, Italo, and Trenord provide online forms for requesting a refund. To do so, you must enter your ticket code, after which the funds will be refunded to your original payment method within a few business days.
Instead of a refund, passengers may also choose to rebook onto another train free of charge. Generally, this must be done no later than four hours before the scheduled departure.
At the same time, it’s important to distinguish between a train cancellation and a delay. Only an officially confirmed cancellation entitles you to an automatic refund of the ticket price. If the train is merely delayed, standard passenger rights apply, which may provide for partial compensation depending on the length of the delay.
Tip: When planning a trip abroad, it’s a good idea to arrange travel insurance in advance. A policy will help protect you from unforeseen expenses during your trip. Ukrainians can purchase travel insurance for trips abroad on Visit Ukraine.
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Frequantly
asked questions
Will trains be running in Italy on the morning of September 8?
Some regional trains are scheduled to run during a guaranteed time window from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. However, you should check with the carrier for specific service, as guarantees depend on the type of service.
Will Frecciarossa high-speed trains be canceled due to the strike?
The strike affects the Alta Velocità high-speed network, including the Frecce service. However, Trenitalia has published a separate list of trains that are guaranteed to run, so you should check the status of a specific train before traveling.
What other transportation strikes are planned in Italy in September 2026?
According to the calendar provided, strikes are scheduled for September 13 and 30 in the aviation sector, September 15 in public transportation, and a 24-hour general strike on September 26.