Electricity pylon collapsed on the tracks blocking the Calabrian Tyrrhenian ridge

An electric pylon collapsed on the tracks, was hit by a Frecciarossa - fortunately without causing injuries - and sent all railway traffic on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria into a tailspin, paralyzing dozens of trains for hours, including high-speed ones. The emergency occurred around 12pm near Falerna, in the province of Catanzaro, on the railway stretch between Paola and Lamezia Terme. The line was completely blocked until 6pm, Trenitalia set up a replacement bus service.

The cause of the collapse was attributed to the bad weather conditions of recent days, but further investigations are to be expected to identify any responsibility for an accident that could have led to serious consequences.

It was certainly an afternoon of passion for those traveling by train. The passengers of the Frecciarossa involved in the fall of the pylon remained stuck on the convoy for a long time, while the emergency protocol was activated which then saw them arrive at Paola station after a transfer onto hybrid-powered trains. In fact, the electricity supply line was interrupted and all trains were stopped. Buses have started to shuttle between the stations of Paola and Lamezia Terme and Trenitalia has warned travelers that route changes and cancellations are possible along the route.

At 6.20 pm the trains slowly began to circulate, but the situation remained complicated with significant delays. The Frecciarossa 9658 Reggio Calabria – Milan managed to accumulate five and a half hours, the Intercity 727 between Rome and Messina recorded three, the Frecciarossa 9583 from Turin to Reggio Calabria over two.