Piccato back and forth between AdR and Fs on night trains. Aeroporti di Roma, in fact, renewed the request to introduce trains even late between Fiumicino airport and Rome-Termini, but received a sharp “No“. A story that for many operators is incredible: what is considered and awarded as the best airport in Europe has an Achilles’ heel in its rail connections: between 11.30pm and 5.30amIn fact, those who need to make a transfer from the airport to the city center can only use a taxi or rental car.
A disservice that goes hand in hand with the other incredible situation relating to local public transport, namely the connection very low cost operated by Cotral between Fiumicino and Eur Magliana or airport-Host, without adequate signs and above all with logistical difficulties in obtaining tickets. In fact, it is almost impossible for a foreigner to get to know a very cheap public service: the ticket costs 1.70 euros.
But it is on the issue of the failure of the railway connection that the attention of politicians has also been focused, given that the Mobility commission of the Municipality of Rome debated the problem, which had already been raised by the Head of the infrastructure operational unit, Andrea Giordano. In view of the Jubilee, in fact, he had raised the alarm in a letter to the Lazio Region and Italian railway network of the FS Group, to raise awareness of local administrators and sector operators.
The letter states that “I am there 22 starts between 5.30 and 6.30 am 42 movements, both departures and arrivals, between 10.30pm and 1am. All this generates a flow of passengers and airport operators in addition, a mass of people who pass through and who must arrive one or two hours in advance. To date, this lack of offer is managed partly by Cotral and partly with the AdR shuttle buses, but the service it is not worthy of an international airport”.
RFI’s lapidary response was not long in coming, announcing in its note that “there is no margin for inserting further services in the night part. There is a need for new tracks. Today, as RFI, we are structured like this on that route: during the day we guarantee the service, while during the night the activity of maintenance“.
We are now awaiting the intervention of the Lazio Region and some astute politician who can reopen a constructive dialogue between AdR and FS, to protect them airline usersas well as the good name of the international airport, flagship of our airport system.
