High-Speed Rail Sabotage Disrupts Italian Network, Authorities Raise Security Alert

Italy - Ekhbary News Agency

High-Speed Rail Sabotage Disrupts Italian Network, Authorities Raise Security Alert

A series of deliberate acts of sabotage have crippled sections of Italy's high-speed rail network, causing widespread travel chaos and substantial delays for passengers. On the morning of Friday, February 14, 2026, infrastructure vital to the high-speed lines connecting Rome with Naples and Florence was found to be damaged, with reports of tampered junction boxes and deliberately burned cables. These incidents resulted in significant service disruptions, including train cancellations and delays that stretched beyond two hours, impacting thousands of travelers across the country.

Law enforcement officials have strongly indicated that these events were not accidental malfunctions but rather carefully orchestrated acts of sabotage. Investigations revealed compromised access points to vital cabling systems responsible for train traffic management. Specifically, damage was identified near Via di Villa Spada in the Salaria area of Rome, with another incident occurring in Via di Salone on the city's outskirts. A third location in Capena was also examined, though initial assessments suggested a possible technical fault, authorities are not ruling out sabotage.

Specialized railway police (Polfer) and the Rome police's anti-terrorism unit (Digos) have launched a comprehensive investigation to identify the perpetrators. An official report is expected to be submitted to the Public Prosecutor's office in the coming hours. Investigators are leaning towards the theory of intentional criminal acts and are exploring a potential connection to similar sabotage incidents that occurred the previous week in Bologna and Pesaro, coinciding with the opening day of the Winter Olympics.

The suspicion of a coordinated campaign gained traction when the anarchist and revolutionary counter-information blog "La Nemesi" claimed responsibility for the Pesaro sabotage. This has led to heightened concerns that the recent incidents may be part of a broader anarchist offensive launched in conjunction with the Milan-Cortina Winter Games. In response, the Central Directorate for Prevention Police has elevated the security alert level and surveillance measures across the entire rail network. This strategic shift mirrors the actions taken in Lecco following a previous sabotage incident on a line leading to Olympic venues. The current approach involves coordinated efforts among all police forces, enhancing patrols along railway tracks, maintaining constant monitoring of critical technical nodes, and increasing surveillance in areas with less CCTV coverage to proactively detect any potential threats or imitative actions.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Matteo Salvini, unequivocally condemned the acts as "odious criminal acts against workers and against Italy." He assured the public that vigilance has been intensified and controls have been increased to apprehend those responsible, stressing the importance of not downplaying or justifying criminal acts that endanger lives. According to information released by the State Railways Group (Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato), the first damage was reported on the Rome-Florence line at 4:30 AM, followed by another incident on the Rome-Naples line approximately an hour later. Ferrovie dello Stato confirmed these as "two deliberate acts affecting the national railway network," noting that technicians found "several uncovered conduits containing the cables managing railway traffic, and the burning of these cables."

Train services were fully restored by midday following thorough inspections by the relevant authorities. However, the disruption caused significant passenger hardship, with widespread delays, rerouted services, and cancellations. Delays peaked at 140 minutes at Milan station and reached 150 minutes in Bologna, with Rome and Naples also experiencing considerable disruptions. For many travelers, it was a day of immense frustration. "Beyond the inconvenience, there's also an economic loss," lamented one passenger waiting in Milan, who had to purchase an additional ticket to Lausanne. Another traveler stated, "Sabotage or not, this only harms people." Even Galeazzo Bignami, former Vice Minister of Transport and current leader of the Brothers of Italy group in the Chamber of Deputies, was affected, nearly missing the end of his party's national leadership meeting in Rome. When ironically advised to speak with Minister Salvini about the issue, Bignami responded with a smile, "I need to speak with those carrying out the sabotage, hoping they are identified, arrested, and held accountable for their actions."

Meanwhile, the consumer association Codacons has announced that if the perpetrators are identified, they will initiate legal action seeking substantial compensation for all passengers affected by the disruptions.

Ekhbary News Agency