Reduction in Regionale Train Service Between Florence and Rome
 

Effective tomorrow, the direct regionale train service between Florence and Rome is being significantly reduced: several trains are stopping or starting their run from the Orte Station in northern Lazio (rather than at Roma Termini). Other trains are skipping the stop at Roma Tiburtina. Bottom line: much reduced service between Florence and Rome with the cheap unreserved regionale trains (which cost 17.15 Euros in second class, versus 45 Euros for the fast Frecciarossa AV trains). Here is the complete list of the changes:

http://www.fsnews.it/cms/v/index.jsp...008916f90aRCRD

Does that have anything to do with the fire at Tiburtina? Is that sorted out now? I'm heading to Rome and Florence soon.

You'll find the changes listed individually here - and it may appear quite a blow to anyone intending to take the journey that 4-ish hour way?

http://www.fsnews.it/cms-file/allega...i29ago2011.pdf

But there do seem to be plenty of other Regional trains from Orte to Rome, so it may require no more than changing there, rather than riding straight through?

Peter

kybourbon: The announced reduction in direct regionale train service between Florence and Rome may indeed have much to do with the repurcussions of the big fire at Tiburtina Station.

Nevertheless, I suspect an ulterior motive: Trenitalia/RFI is continuing its practice of cutting back on medium-distance regionale trains, requiring passengers to either take the much more expensive fast trains, or to make an inconvenient connection mid-route to another regionale train. Between Florence and Rome, this affects not only travellers between these two regionale capitals, but also cities en-route, some of which are important tourist destination (e.g. Arezzo, Camucia-Cortona, Castiglione del Lago, Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, Orvieto). And while it's true that there is fairly frequent regionale train service between Orte and Rome, the required connection is most certainly inconvenient (especially with luggage), and results in lost time (increasing an already long travel time of four hours for the direct regionale trains).

We don't yet know whether this most recent service cut is permanent or temporary: time will tell. In the meantime, I do remember many other instances where through regionale train service on important routes has been severely reduced, or eliminated:

1. Milan/Venice: very few direct regionale trains; many require a connection at Verona Porta Nuova;

2. Bologna/Firenze: virtually no more direct regionale trains; almost all require a connection at Prato Centrale;

3. Milano/Ancona: elimination of all direct regionale trains;

4. Roma/Napoli: fewer direct regionale trains

5. Napoli/Reggio Calabria: elimination of the one direct regionale train.

Bottom Line: it will now take more a bit more effort to travel on the cheap regionale trains on such medium-distance routes. More travellers will be looking to find "MINI" fares on the fast trains (which "locks-in" travel to the reserved train, with limited ability to make a reservation change). Overall, a loss for the customer. On the other hand, Trenitalia/RFI will save money by reducing these services, which is not all bad .....

Or perhaps this part of the slow death of inter-regional regional services?

With each Regione now having their individual austerity pressures, might it be safe to predict more and more enforced changes at the nearest convenient stop to their "borders"?

No coincidence surely that Orte is handy for the Tuscan/Lazio boundary, in much the same way that Formia is for the one between Lazio and Campania, and Prato for Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna...

Peter

Exactly. And Brennero/Bologna is yet another example (Verona being the logical connection point).

Next cuts to come .... Intercity trains???

Just speculation, supported by some actual examples of cuts.

As a followup to my original posting above, a review of the current train schedules between Roma TERMINI and Firenze SANTA MARIA NOVELLA stations reveals a significant dearth of cheap unreserved regionale trains (not requiring a connection at Orte Station).

FROM Roma Termini TO Firenze SMN, through regionale trains are currently departing only at 5:58, 6:48 and 14:49. There is also a direct IC train at 18:20 (other IC trains go to Firenze Rifredi).

FROM Firenze SMN TO Roma Termini, through regionale trains are currently departing only at 11:13, 17:13, 19:13 and 21:13. There is also a direct IC train at 5:50 (other IC trains depart from Firenze Rifredi).

NOTE: These trains may not necessarily run daily. You must specifically check the schedules for your actual travel date.

This is quite different from the situation prior to August 29, when the regionale trains were running every TWO HOURS!

We don't yet know whether this state of affairs is temporary or permanent.

Comparison of fares ("base" fare, second class, one-way):

Regionale train: 17.15 Euros (4 hours)

Intercity train: 30 Euros (2 hrs., 40 mins.)

Frecciarossa/Frecciargento AV train: 45 Euros (95 mins.)

The Frecciarossa/Frecciargento trains run every 30 minutes (or better) on average.

BEWARE: a handful of Frecciargento trains stop at Firenze Campo di Marte and not Firenze SMN.

where are the regional trains qwovadis keeps carping about taking for 2 euros an hours?