Rome, 19th June 2020
Thanks to the activities and actions adopted by the Italian FS Group, travel is safe.
Also this summer, the FS Italiane Group’s main objective is to protect the people’s health, ensuring safe distances and the constant sanitation of the means and environments used by travellers and employees.
The responsible and conscious collaboration of each passenger is also fundamental in guaranteeing everyone a safe journey, with passengers called upon to comply with the requirements, hygiene standards and new regulations issued in the Decrees of the President of the Council of Ministers.
As of Wednesday 3 June 2020, the body temperature of all passengers travelling by medium and- long-distance, HS and InterCity trains from Italian high-speed train stations shall be measured, in accordance with the guidelines established by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.
Trenitalia, the Italian Railway Network and Busitalia ensure continual information is provided on the requirements, as established by the competent authorities and on the initiatives to protect travellers’ health both in the station and aboard the trains and buses, via audible announcements, messages on the monitors, as well as printed and digital posters.
Travellers can choose from amongst 6,000 regional trains, over 170 Freccia and – as of the beginning of July – a complete selection of InterCity Day (88) and Night (20) locomotives.
At the heart of Trenitalia’s 2020 summer scheduling and all FS Italiane Group actions is getting Italy rolling again, from North to South. The new connections aim to satisfy the emerging mobility requirements, for this summer and beyond, with a focus on people and their needs. Amongst the main initiatives are the connections with Frecciarossa and Frecciargento trains from Reggio Calabria to Turin and Venice, a new journey aboard the Frecciarossa 1000 that combines Milan and Rome with the Riviera di Levante in Liguria, Versilia and Argentario and – for the first time – the Frecciargento connecting Florence with Puglia, without any intermediate changes.
The new Freccia stops, together with connections with InterCity and regional trains, form an integral part of the broader national tourism development plan. Fundamental for the upcoming summer is to offer connections to discover and rediscover the beauties of Italy by train that, with its dense network of lines and stations, manages to easily unite all corners of the Bel Paese. Thus, it will also be easier to distribute the flows of tourist not only in major art cities or to the best-known beaches and mountains but also to medium- and small-sized locations with high a tourist, landscape and cultural luring.
In addition, Thello connections between Italy and France also resume as of Thursday 4 June, with four journeys per day between Milan and Nice, via Genova – two being in the direction of France and two towards Italy.
Busitalia has intensified and strengthened the transport provision to better respond to the demand for the journeys of citizens and especially commuters.
In addition, a policy has been devised and disseminated to the public, outlining the proper conduct on board the means of transport for responsible travel. The policy is published on the fsbusitalia.it website. Failure to comply with the rules established may result in discontinuation of service.
RFI has completed the adaptation of the stations with higher traffic with ground surface markings to separate the flows of incoming and outgoing passengers and to ensure spacing between them along the walkways. Additional railway stations will be adapted in the coming days.
In addition to the reinforcement of signage indicating the routes, the stations are equipped with information panels and dispensers for sanitiser gel near the tracks.
Investments in computer system innovation and digitisation are fundamental for the return of Italy’s transport system. Trenitalia invites its passengers to up their use of digital channels to purchase tickets, in particular via the Trenitalia App and trenitalia.com website. Until 30 June, booking made via the Trenitalia App, the trenitalia.com website and call centres entitle purchasers 30% additional CartaFRECCIA points.
With the 2020 summer schedule, Trenitalia launches its new app, available from the Android and iOS stores as of Monday 22 June, to significantly improve the user experience, information and purchases via smartphone and tablet. Amongst the main new features is the self-check-in, with the first phase available for all Freccia and InterCity tickets, to be soon followed by regional transport. This development has been adopted by Trenitalia amongst the actions aimed at protecting people’s health and ensuring interpersonal spacing. By simply clicking on the link of the trip in the section I Miei Viaggi of the Trenitalia app, the traveller communicates their presence on board to the conductor, without the need for any contact. For regional transport, the new digital counter system will allow travellers to determine, through the new App and in real time, the number of seats available aboard the train. Using three different colours (red, yellow, green), an algorithm will indicate how many people are already expected to catch the train. The purchase of tickets will be blocked once there are no more seats available on the train. This new feature will help people choose the specific regional train on which to travel.
Busitalia advises passengers to purchase their ticket before boarding and to give preference to acquisition via self-service machines, the Web Shop, as well as the corporate and nugo apps.
FS Italiane Group’s nugo app guarantees the constant updating of routes and timetables, aligned with the changes implemented by the transport companies following the COVID-19 health emergency. The nugo digital channel ensures travellers can purchase and utilise public transport tickets without any external contact. The nugo live ticket (a digital ticket with security features and contactless operation to simplify use/control activities) means no contact is required either during purchase nor use with personnel, money or specific devices (automatic emitters, turnstiles), whilst also preventing the need to assembly or queue up for purchases from the manned ticket offices. An information collection system is being implemented in order allow people to have single-point, quick and exhaustive access to the measures adopted by each transport operator, with details on the distancing between travellers and the sanitisation of the vehicles. nugo is contacting all its customers that have used transport services in the last few weeks to refund them the amounts incurred.
The enhancement and development of modal integration of the train with other transport means, such as bicycles and scooters, is increasingly important and a priority for the harmonious development of sustainable mobility.
For Trenitalia, train/bike integration and supporting gentle mobility is a goal achieved several years ago and which shall be developed further.
Folding bikes (electric and otherwise) can be taken aboard the trains at no cost. Also at no extra cost is the insurance for accidental damages and the reflective bracelet for regional and InterCity pass and CartaFRECCIA holders purchasing their folding bike from Decathlon. The new Rock and Pop regional trains have more spaces for bikes. InterCity trains will also have six slots for two-wheelers. Trenitalia is signing agreements to promote integration between the train and other green vehicles.
To promote sustainable and integrated mobility, even aboard ATAF&Linea buses, it is possible to travel with folding bikes no larger than carry-on luggage at no extra cost.
Trenitalia is offering full reimbursement for passengers who have renounced their travels due to the COVID-19 health emergency. Refunds can be requested for any type of ticket – even those usually non-refundable – and for any destination.
For medium- and long-distance trains, full refunds shall be provided in the form of a credit that can be used within one year. Requests can be made by filling out the specific web form available on the website trenitalia.com.
For those who had purchased a Trenitalia Freccia Carnet offer still valid as of 10 March, the validity has been automatically extended for 4 months from the expiration date.
For regional trains, full refunds are offered in monetary form and can be requested by submitting the form via post or email to the Regional/Provincial Directorates responsible for the travel destination.
For safe travel, it is essential to respect interpersonal spacing.
All Freccia and InterCity train tickets and passes are registered under the passenger’s name, as called for by the relevant Authorities.
On the Freccia and InterCity trains, distances between passengers is guaranteed by a new seat allocation criterion, in addition to the presence of red markers on the seats reserved for social distancing. The new seat-booking function, operative on the Freccia trains as of 10 March, ensures compliance with the safety distances prescribed by the provisions issued for the COVID-19 health crisis, without impacting on the comfort offered to passengers.
In addition, seats must also be booked for those who hold a travel pass.
Those travelling on InterCity Night trains will have to book the entire compartment for both the sleeping wagons and berths. Distancing is guaranteed on the Thello connections between Italy and France, thanks to specific markers indicting which seats cannot be occupied.
Measures to ensure spacing and prevent overcrowding in station areas have also been adopted for ticket offices, Freccia Lounges, Freccia Clubs and Freccia Waiting Rooms.
Personal distance is guaranteed on regional trains thanks to the red markers on non-usable seats. At present, standing whilst travelling is not allowed. In addition, on the entire Trenitalia fleet, entry and exit doors from trains, indicated by specific signage, are separated to avoid passengers from crossing paths.
Aboard the train, signage on the ground will show travellers which door to use for exiting the train and the distance to maintain between other passengers.
Busitalia has also affixed special signage, guided pathways for those using the services and markers to indicate the seats to occupy in order to guarantee social distancing. In order to maintain safe distances, it is forbidden to board and alight from the front door. What’s more, passengers must wait for other travellers to descend before boarding.
The stations are sanitised with specific cleaning operations whilst the waiting rooms are closed to comply with the ban on assembly and the safety distances determined by government decrees. The same tasks were also performed for ticket offices, self-service machines, Freccia Desks, Freccia Lounges, Freccia Clubs and Freccia Waiting Rooms.
Right from the outset of the COVID-19 emergency, Trenitalia strengthened the train cleaning and sanitisation activities, reducing the time between one cleaning session and the next.
In addition, new procedures have been shared and approved with industry experts, to refine and improve the cleaning and sanitisation operations of the fleet and the station environments. These are key operations for ensuring safe travel for passengers and employees.
Trenitalia has tested the new procedures and has put in place ways to obtain certification through an external entity on the nebulisation and vaporisation of the areas with special disinfectants. The modern tools employed ensure even profounder hygiene for the seats, baggage area, tables and all surfaces with which passengers come into contact. Thello convoys are also cleaned and sanitised according to the instructions issued by the Ministry of Health.
Special operations are dedicated to cleaning and sanitising the air-conditioning systems of the trains, to the installation of hand sanitiser gel dispensers in the bathrooms and entryways of the convoys along with the sanitisation of surfaces and environments whilst the trains are stopped at the station for longer periods.
Finally, the activities of the travelling cleaner were upgraded for the entire Trenitalia fleet. In addition to ensuring hygiene, the travelling cleaner cleans and sanitises the spaces and bathrooms also throughout the trip to protect the health of passengers and employees.
A reception service on the Frecciarossa and Frecciargento trains will distribute to passengers a free safety kit (with mask, hand sanitiser gel, latex gloves, disposable headrest cover and a can of water). In addition, by using their smartphone to capture the QR code on the tables of Frecciarossa and Frecciargento trains, passengers can view information regarding the cleaning and sanitation activities and processes activated by Trenitalia.
In the interest of protecting passenger and employee health, Busitalia continues with the activities of extraordinary daily cleaning and disinfection of all exposed surfaces on the bus and corporate premises, along with dispensers with sanitiser gel aboard the vehicles, which are also equipped with a first aid kit with Personal Protective Equipment (disposable gloves, mask and sanitiser gel).