Trenitalia, a rail operator in Italy, has launched for the first time in Europe a “COVID-free” high-speed train service between Rome and Milan. The service began operating twice a day in each direction on an experimental basis on April 16.
If the experiment proves successful, the company plans to expand its service to other routes as well, reports SchengenVisaInfo.com.
In order for passengers to board the train, they are required to arrive at the station 45 minutes before departure. In addition, all persons must provide a negative PCR test result or a nasal antigen sample that is less than 48 hours old. Children under the age of six are exempt from these requirements, unless parents insist that their child be tested.
On the other hand, if someone is not able to present any of the tests mentioned above, they can undergo a nasal swab test before boarding the train in the tents set up by the Italian Red Cross in Roma Termini and Milano Centrale. stations.
To be eligible for on-site testing, passengers must have a COVID-free train ticket, ID and health card. However, if they test positive on the site, they will get a full refund for the train ticket. The passenger can also choose between accepting a voucher valid for 12 months or the monetary amount.
Additionally, the COVID-free train offers seat spacing, allowing only 50% of the chairs to be occupied, following the checkerboard seating arrangement that leaves all other seats in a room empty.
Tickets for the train have been on sale since April 11. The “COVID-free” Frecciarossa train leaves every day at 8:50 am from Termini to Milano Centrale without any stops, and another leaves from Milan to Termini at 6:00 pm.
With the exception of Roma Termini and Milano Centrale, the FS group also plans to set up additional test spaces in 11 other stations in Bari, Bologna, Cagliari, Florence Santa Maria Novella, Naples Central, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Turin Porta Nuova and Venice Mestre.
FS Director General Gianfranco Battisti revealed they plan to expand Covid-free train services to allow “travel safely to tourist destinations such as Florence, Venice, Naples and many more”. A detailed plan for the train’s timetables and destinations has not yet been disclosed.
Earlier this month, Italy decided to extend quarantine requirements for all travelers from the European Union until the end of April due to the current COVID-19 situation. Meanwhile, the country’s travel and tourism sector suffered a loss of 120.6 billion euros as most countries suspended international travel.
Comments are closed.