Rail traffic on Italy’s main high-speed corridor between Rome and Florence will be suspended for part of the weekend of 11–12 April 2026 to allow the activation of a new European train control system (ERTMS).
The disruption will also affect services on Monday 13 April, when fewer trains than usual are expected to run as the network gradually returns to normal operation.
According to the infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), the high-speed line will be closed from midnight on Saturday 11 April until 3 p.m. on Sunday 12 April. During this period, high-speed services operated by Frecciarossa and Italo will not be able to use the Rome–Florence route.
The closure is necessary to activate the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) on the section between Orvieto and Settebagni, the final stretch of the corridor still awaiting installation of the technology. Once the upgrade is completed, the entire Italian high-speed rail network will operate with the European system designed to supervise and manage train movements.
Additional disruption on conventional line
The works will also affect the conventional railway line between the two cities. The section between Orte and Roma Tiburtina station will be closed from 2 p.m. on Saturday 11 April until 5 a.m. on Sunday 12 April.
Because both the high-speed and conventional routes will be partially unavailable during the works, rail companies expect a significant reduction in services. Some trains will be diverted along alternative routes, including the Tyrrhenian coastal corridor.
Reduced services and longer journeys
Train services will gradually resume from 3 p.m. on Sunday 12 April, but with fewer connections and longer travel times than usual. Many services will temporarily operate on conventional lines instead of the high-speed route, resulting in slower journeys.
Rail operators have begun updating their booking systems, and only trains compatible with the revised timetable are currently available for purchase.
Normal service frequency between Rome and Florence is expected to return on Tuesday 14 April.
Major investment in network upgrade
The installation of the signalling system on this final section of the line required an investment of about €147 million, partly financed through Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
ERTMS is the most advanced European signalling and supervision system for railways. By replacing older technologies, it allows more precise monitoring of train movements, improves infrastructure reliability and helps increase punctuality and service quality.
The project forms part of a broader national programme to equip around 2,800 kilometres of railway lines with ERTMS technology by June 2026, extending the system across large sections of Italy’s rail network.
