Railway infrastructure near the city of Bologna, in northern Italy, was the target of sabotage this Saturday, February 7, the first day of competitions at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, announced the Italian Ministry of Transport.
Police reported three incidents in different locations, which caused delays of up to two and a half hours on high-speed services, intercity and regional trains.
The ministry classified this act as “serious sabotage”, adding that it was reminiscent of the opening day of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, when saboteurs attacked France’s high-speed train network, causing chaos.
“These actions are of unprecedented severity, but they do not in any way harm Italy’s image in the world, an image that the Games will make even more positive”, guaranteed the ministry headed by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.
During the morning of this Saturday, the state company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) was forced to temporarily close the Bologna high-speed station, but in the afternoon the service began to slowly return to normal, according to information from the company itself.
Italian police revealed that, during the early hours of the morning, a cabin containing a rail switch was set on fire near the city of Pesaro, on the Adriatic Sea. Hours later, electrical cables used to detect train speeds were found cut in Bologna, and a rudimentary explosive was discovered near the tracks.
So far, no one has claimed responsibility for these acts of sabotage, which authorities say were apparently coordinated.
It should be noted that Bologna is an important junction for the railway lines that connect the east to the west of Italy, and is also important for connecting the south to northern cities such as Venice and Milan, one of the host cities of the Winter Olympic Games.
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