“Talking about isolation seems excessive to me” the president blurts out Francis Robertiholder of the delegation for Transport and ‘questioned’ on the latest issue concerning rail transport which, obviously, still departs and arrives in Isernia.
In fact, for the governor of Molise, it is a rationalization operation. A step back: since yesterday some trains from Isernia to Rome and Caserta have been cancelled. News released by the Commuters’ Committee and also relaunched by this newspaper.
The “railway offer variations” concern trains in the direction of Caserta (and departing from Isernia) at 13.28 and 16.50. The same fate for those that make the reverse journey and depart (from Caserta) at 8.10 and 8.45. In total, four cancelled journeys, at least until December 9th.
But, going to check the routes, there is a train at 14.11 (40 minutes after the cancelled one) that arrives in Isernia at 15.26. Cost? 6.90 euros. Wanting to leave in the afternoon, the issue is more complicated by the combined train + bus arrangement but in any case the trip is possible with costs ranging from 6.90 to 11.30 euros. From Caserta to Isernia, instead, in the time slot of the cancelled trains, there is a convoy at 8.36 (which also includes the bus), at a cost of about 11 euros.
Of course there is inconvenience, of course commuters for study or work reasons have other thoughts but in any case there is an alternative.
Same reasoning for the route from the capital city Pentro to the capital and back. From Isernia to Rome Termini, the trains that leave at 7.45 and 9.35 have been cancelled. But there is a train at 8.38 (therefore within the time slot of the two cancelled trains) which in fact moves the hands of those who have to leave by 60 minutes (late or early). A new route, therefore, that stops in Venafro (where it arrives at 8.58) and runs every day.
Reverse route, from Rome Termini to Isernia: trains departing at 19:35, 20:35 and 20:42 have been cancelled. But there is a new train, at 20:07 that runs every weekday and stops in Venafro at 22:06. Also in this case, Trenitalia has cancelled the 3 trips that all departed within 60 minutes and activated only one, always in that time slot. Moving the clock by 30 minutes (earlier or later than the previous trips).
The reasons why this rationalization operation was necessary have not been detailed by Trenitalia and will certainly be made known. But the fact remains that, if we look closely, the cancellations concern trains that all departed in a certain time slot, from the same station and that would have reached the same destination.
A cut in services, which will certainly create problems for commuters who will have to review their travel arrangements, connection times. But, from what we have been able to learn, the two trains that have been activated will arrive right inside Termini station and no longer at the now infamous platform 20 bis. And this is perhaps the news within the news!
The question that will need to be answered is simple: was it a cost rationalization operation (which necessarily involves travel) or was it an attempt to mask with this shared assumption the usual axe that falls on the people of Molise who, it should be remembered, cannot yet use the train to and from Campobasso but must use replacement buses to Isernia if they want to travel on the railway?
The mayor of Isernia, Piero Castratarohas no doubts. And he said it loud and clear through his social channel with a video complaint. “The alarm cry from commuters, unions and other social forces who fear the isolation of this region was not enough”. For the mayor of Isernia, it is the evident “inability of regional governments to deal with Trenitalia and at the same time to better use the resources we have. They have only been good at increasing taxes and in this case they are cutting essential services that are needed to remove the region from isolation”.
