An arson fire in a rail
transformer room at Rovezzano on the outskirts of Florence,
claimed by an anarchist group, caused train chaos in Italy on
Monday amid four-hour delays and 50 train cancellations.
The fire at the high-speed transformer caused long delays in
both directions on the main north-south line.
Network company RFI said the fire was started "by a
deliberate act by person or persons unknown".
RFI said some 25 high-speed trains had been cancelled, run by
both Trenitalia and Italo.
It said the average delay was 180 minutes and there would be
repercussions all afternoon.
Regional traffic in the larger metropolitan stations was also
affected by delays, it said.
"Rail circulation was completely suspended from 05:00 to
08:00 this morning for checks on the part of judicial
authorities", it said.
"After the first checks were carried out, traffic resumed
with strong delays".
Delays of up to three hours were registered at Rome's main
Termini Station, Italy's biggest rail hub.
Police said the arson attack may have been a "demonstrative
action" by an anarchist group amid a Florence trial against 28
anarchists for various offences against public order.
A noted anarchist website said "We can't keep our emotions
in" in seeing that "lighting a cigarette in the open air in the
countryside under the moon was enough" to knock out this "giant
with clay feet".
Another website close to the anarchist area said: "what
happened? At dawn, on the outskirts of the Tuscan capital, a
transformer room of the high-speed network got so hot it burst
into flames. Was it a coincidence? A 'cowardly provocation'?.
Or, more simply and humanly, a gesture of love and rage".
The statement was posted on the Finimondo.org site.
Investigators said they were taking it as a sort of claim of
responsibility for the alleged attack.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Monday he would go to
the fire site and said the culprits "deserve years in prison
seeing as how they blocked Italy and ruined the day for many
Italians.
"This afternoon I will go personally to Rovezzano to get a
first-hand look at the situation".
Salvini said possible links to 'No TAV' protesters against a
high-speed rail link from Turin to Lyon would be "verified".
"If the anarchist leads are confirmed," he said, "we will
verify possible links to the No TAVers who in the past few days
attacked police: in any case, from all paries and the whole
government we expect a strong condemnation of the violence and a
decided Yes to the Turin-Lyon," he said, referring to the
government partners of his far-right League party, the
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), who are against the
TAV.
Passengers in Turin raged at delays of three hours and more
for high-speed rail services.
Lucia, heading for Florence, said: "I have to get to my son
who is getting married at the weekend and my train has
accumulated 205 minutes of delay.
"I'm not angry with the railways, but with those who set the
fire.
Rail company Trenitalia said it would give 100% reimbursement
to passengers who have to cancel their journeys.
Delays of up to four hours and almost 50 cancellations of
high-speed services were reported.
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