Train services resume on the Ionian coast after storm damage

Respect the forecasts. Since this morning, railway circulation has been reactivated between the stations of Messina and Taormina, after the interruption caused by the damage from cyclone Harry. The nightmare ends for many passengers and commuters who, for over a month, have faced severe inconveniences, despite the replacement service provided by buses, offered by Trenitalia. The storm surges in January damaged the network in several places between the municipalities of Itala, Scaletta Zanclea, Alì Terme and in the area of Isola Bella, in Taormina. The technicians from Rete Ferroviaria Italiana completed, within the expected time, all the necessary interventions with the aim of allowing the reopening of the line. The bad weather had caused significant damage along the railway infrastructure: fallen poles, erosion of support structures, and sections of track left suspended due to the violent storm surges. Among the most affected areas was Capo Alì, where the force of the sea had compromised part of the support works for the railway. The safety measures involved 32 km of track.

Rfi intervened immediately and, to speed up the process, requested the support of contractors from the active framework agreements for extraordinary maintenance in various areas: civil works, technological systems, and track equipment. All interventions were also coordinated with the Prefecture of Messina. Economic operators ensured a deployment of personnel and equipment, guaranteeing full operation seven days a week, thanks to the location of operational bases. Six teams operated with about fifty workers in total. The interventions proved to be complex. The use of bimodal vehicles, capable of moving both on rubber and on rails, and flatbed train cars for the transport of boulders and excavation material was necessary. Other work involved the restoration of the electric traction poles, cables, and conduits. Rfi was responsible for the removal of materials brought by the storm surges. In recent days, work has been carried out to restore the geometry of the track between Scaletta and Taormina, with related testing. The restoration of railway service in the Ionian province represents an important signal that ends a state of emergency. The Fs group is considering further interventions, which will be carried out despite the reactivation. Work will need to proceed with the refurbishment of the existing sloping breakwaters protecting the infrastructure, damaged by the event, and the realization of additional protective works is being evaluated. The worst is over, and in the Ionian province, trains are back in operation.