The old saying was repeated on Fox News O'Reilly last night (or maybe Hannity & Homely) that Mussolini got the trains to run on time.

I always thought this too until some scholarly article debunked this claim, explaining that he did indeed get the mainline trains Milan-Florence-Rome and a few other mainlines to run to schedule but basically the bulk of the system was chaotic.

Today's Italian trail travelers don't have to worry however as IME Italian trains now run fairly punctually. In fact the Eurostar Italia trains have some kind of fare guarantee i believe if they are more than a tad late.

I don't suppose the Fox "News" folks included the fact that despite this singular "accomplishment" Mussolini also presided over Italy's defeat in WW II and I believe dragged through the streets after his death did they?

Hi PQ,

He claimed that he made the trains run on time.

Hi D,

I think that before his body was dragged through the streets, it was hung by the heels.

All the ES trains I've ridden in Italy have been on time.

The IC trains have been for the most part on time.

The Regional trains are usually on time in the north (north of Rome) and in my experience, universally late in the south (multiple trips in 2004, 2005, 2007). The worst delay was about 90 minutes though, so it wasn't a trip-wrecker or anything.

Speaking of Mussolini, we were pretty shocked to see a framed photo of him in a small shop in Sorrento Sant'Agnello just this past June.

I'll bet that trains would run on time all over the world if that was the #1 priority ... but maybe not. I wonder if the expression as applied in Il Duce's case reflects how bad the train system's on=-time record was before him. Was the Fox team suggesting a Mussolinin is needed for the airline industry?!

As dear old Rick Steves commented while waiting for a late train in the Cinque Terre, "If the relaxed attitude about some things in Italy bugs you, maybe you should go to Germany." (or something like that. And he's complimenting both German efficiency and the Italian quality of dolce far niente.)

Together with the Mussolini comment, we take away this: it's good to have the train run on time. If the train is late, it's good to be in a free, sweet and beautiful country while you're waiting. Having both is quite lovely.

They say the trains haven't been on time in the UK for years ... is that true?

Years? I would imagine they've gotten tired of waiting by now.

<They say the trains haven't been on time in the UK for years ... is that true?>

in UK the 28 or so privatized rail lines often post their on-time performance stats in stations - and many are in the 70s - now i don't know what they mean by ontime - within 5 mins, etc. but 70% is pretty absymal and often they are way off schedule.

I once arrove at a station expecting to get say the 10am train to London and boarded the 'delayed 9am' train when it limped in about 45 mins behind schedule

The long-distance 'Cross Country' trains are often late - many Virgin Cross Country trains (recently lost the franchise i believe) are very late - but in UK as service is at least hourly it seems on the whole main rail network there will be a train coming thru shortly.

For me, using a pass i can hop any train, but those with the typical discounted non-changeable tickets may then be stuck waiting an hour or so it seems.

The UK rail system is the very worst IMO of all in western Europe except Portugal and Ireland and seems to be getting worse if anything - seriously overcrowded, especially on regional trains it seems.