Rome/Naples Rail Line Closed!
 

The International Herald Tribune has announced that the rail line between Rome and Naples has been closed and will not open again until this coming Monday.

The reason is that an unexploded WWII 550 pound bomb was discovered near the rail line. Residents in the area have been evacuated. This bomb was found near Formia.

I wanted to advise of this in case any Fodorites were planing on taking the train between Rome and Naples.

There is an alternative route inland via Cassino, but the Trenitalia web site says this will cause delays of over two hours. It will obviously cause disruption to trains on other routes. If anyone has to catch an international flight, train or ferry, then allow a lot more time for the train journey in Italy.

Strange thing, I was recently in Italy on that line. My train was stopped on the tracks for nearly eight hours when a man jumped in front of it, committing suicide. I'm beginning to wonder if that line is bad luck.

Not to be maudlin, but I had to sit on an Amtrak train for five hours between Washington and Baltimore for the same reason.The engineer tells me it happens pretty frequently.

Alas, I had a similar experience in England. My late night train from Oxford to Reading was delayed due to a man jumping to his death in front of a train on that track. Apparently, it is not as rare an event as we would think, or hope. But, a WWII bomb....!

The newspaper 'La Repubblica' reported that up to 7000 people in Formia had to be evacuated from their homes. The bomb was apparently dropped by the British. Bombs from World War II still come to light from time to time all over Europe.
Formia is a pleasant town and is the only place on the railway from Roma to Napoli where you see the sea. You get a great view across the bay to Gaeta before the railway line turns inland again.

TTT