FS Group actions against COVID-19

Based on government directives, the FS Italiane Group, led by CEO and General Director Gianfranco Battisti, has put in place a detailed and concrete plan of action to ensure maximum safety for both our passengers and staff, in order to counter the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus.

As well as increasing smart working in all Group Companies, FS Italiane has issued detailed instructions to its employees and has set up an Intercompany Task-Force to monitor the evolution of the situation and ensure the coordination of all interventions. We have also increased our efforts to keep travellers informed by distributing the Ministry of Health's vademecums online.

The Intercompany Task Force—coordinated by Franco Fiumara, Director of Corporate Security for the FS Italiane Group—has coordinated the purchase of thermoscanners available for use by healthcare units for checks within the station, conducted in collaboration with the FS Group’s Corporate Security personnel, pursuant to the Decree of the Ministry of the Interior. Currently, 740 thermoscanners are available. The FS Italiane Group is evaluating the distribution of thermoscanners to other stations within the national territory relative to the current traffic volumes.

Thermoscanner checks are already being conducted in the Milano Centrale, Napoli Centrale and Messina stations. In the Firenze Santa Maria Novella station, they will commence upon the activation of the planned healthcare unit.

In Roma Termini, three thermoscanners have been rendered available to the healthcare units, in operation as of Thursday 9 April. Passenger checks will be carried out at gates “F” (track 8) and “G” (tracks 9 and 10). Moreover, from 9 April, a medical triage will also be active in Roma Termini where, from 5:00 am to midnight, three doctors shall alternate shifts for additional passenger checks requested by the medical unit in service at the gates.


Disinfectant cleaning activities have been stepped up across the fleet (regional trains, Frecce, InterCity), with products that ensure appropriate sanitation, reducing the time intervals between cleaning sessions. Hand disinfectant dispensers have been installed on board trains and staff have been given special protective equipment (masks with filter, disposable gloves, disinfectant gel) to be used in accordance with the provisions of the Ministry of Health.

In addition, new criteria have been activated for booking seats on board the Frecce, guaranteeing compliance with the safety distances prescribed by the provisions on the prevention and spread of the COVID-19 virus, while maintaining the comfort offered to travellers. Criterion adopted also for InterCity train reservations.

Travellers are encouraged to purchase tickets preferably on digital channels (trenitalia.com and App), and the Ministry's vademecum has been circulated.

For maximum transparency and customer service, Trenitalia has also already ordered a full refund for all types of tickets purchased (even if not refundable) after 23 February for travel on regional, Frecce and InterCity trains. For Frecce and InterCity the refund is a bonus that can be used within one year; for regional journeys the refund is in cash.

Rete Ferroviaria Italiana has prepared a specific plan for national and regional control rooms, in line with the passenger traffic flows set by railway carriers and Regions, and to ensure the circulation of freight traffic.

In line with traffic volumes, infrastructure maintenance activities related to the safety of railway operations are also continuing. Stations, especially those in large cities, are thoroughly sanitised every night with specific cleaning operations, while waiting rooms are closed to comply with the ban on assembly and the safety distances defined by government decrees.

A plan has been drawn up to guarantee the work of the territorial control rooms and the National Traffic Situation Control Room, in order to maintain network monitoring and road safety standards. It is also transmitting the message "Coronavirus prevention #iorestoacasa" through the information panels placed on the network under management. Extraordinary measures have been taken throughout the company, such as the closure of workplaces, and flexible working arrangements have also been put in place for all administrative activities.

The company has increased cleaning operations on board vehicles (buses and trams) and all company premises with extraordinary daily sanitisation and disinfection operations with disinfectant spray; all vehicles and facilities have been equipped with an additional first aid kit with disposable gloves, mask and disinfectant gel.

To protect the health of both employees and passengers on board the buses, it is forbidden to board and leave through the front door, using the central or rear doors (if present). The area close to the driver is inaccessible: it is not possible to sit in the first row on urban transport vehicles and in the first two rows on suburban service vehicles. In accordance with regional ordinances, access to services has been modified, with wearing masks or nose and mouth protectors along with—where required—gloves now being obligatory. Ticket sales are also discontinued on board. To purchase tickets, passengers are encouraged to use Self Service, Web Shop, the Nugo app and other transport company apps. Ticket offices, some of which are closed or with reduced hours, can only be accessed in limited numbers, so as to avoid overcrowding while maintaining a safe distance.

To get the latest updates visit: 

fsbusitalia.itfsbusitalia.it/umbriafsbusitalia.it/toscanaataf.net and fsbusitaliaveneto.it.

The transport offer has also been restructured, with services reduced and suspended. 

In Veneto, where Busitalia manages the urban and extra-urban service in Padua and Rovigo, the urban service on road is reduced by 71% with disruption of the service at 8 pm and extension of service called from 6 am to 12 pm. 

Reduced offer by 56% for trams with disruption of the service at 8 pm. The tram service is replaced by bus service. The extra-urban offer has been reduced by 53%, too. The service to Venice Airport is suspended. 

Urban and extra-urban service in Rovigo are reduced by 53% and 49%

In Campania, where Busitalia manages urban, interurban and extra-urban transport services in Salerno, service is reduced by 44% in comparison with the usual offer.

Service on holidays, additional school and university lines have been suspended. 

In Tuscany in the provinces of Florence, Arezzo and Siena services are reduced by 35% compared to usual offer. The Mall, Volainbus and I Gigli services are suspended. In the metropolitan area of Florence, where the urban road service on road is managed by Ataf Gestioni, school rides and C lines of the historic centre are cancelled and replaced by electric buses. 

Reduced by 48% the transport offer compared to the usual one, with interruption of service at 9 pm. 

In Umbria the offer of urban and extra-urban services on road has been rescheduled, with a 65% reduction compared to the normal offer.

Busitalia rail service ex CFU network and navigation service on Lake Trasimeno offers are reduced respectively by 45% and 50%.

The Minimetrò service in Perugia is suspended. Early closure at 9 pm for the alternative mobility systems in Perugia (escalators of Rocca Paolina, Piazzale Europa and Corso Cavour; escalators and inclined elevator of Pincetto; elevators of Galleria Kennedy) and reduced hours from 7 am to 7 pm for those of Spoleto  (SpoletoSfera e Ponzianina, Posterna route). 

The Mercitalia hub has put in place all the necessary initiatives to help keep the Italian freight supply chain fully operational and to ensure that its employees can operate with the highest levels of safety and health protection.

Suppliers are continuously monitored; meetings are being held via tele/video conference; sanitation and workplace cleaning services have been intensified, including locomotives; staff not working in smart working have been provided with the necessary personal protective equipment; workstations in offices and departments have been spaced out and, where possible, work environments have been segregated.

Lastly, accurate "emergency plans" have been drawn up to enable the companies in the Mercitalia hub to continue to operate even in the event of localised critical situations.  

Graphic: FSTechnology Logo

FSTechnology (FS Italiane Group) has offered its R&D (Research and Development) computing centres and specialist support for data processing to the healthcare units conducting research into COVID-19. In particular, active collaborations are underway with the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan (Microbiology and Virology Laboratory) and the Biomedico University Campus in Rome. The Company has developed and implemented the technological solution for the new seat reservation criteria aboard the Frecce trains which, without altering the convenience offered to travellers, ensures compliance with the safety distances required by the provisions on the prevention and diffusion of COVID-19.

Employees have been provided with all the information and guidance needed to manage the emergency situation in order to contain the spread of the COVID - 19 virus; all offices and sites have been equipped with disinfectants available to staff and guests (whose presence has been limited) as well as personal protective equipment. An extraordinary sanitation/disinfection programme is underway for all Italferr sites, already implemented in Rome, Genoa and Reggio Calabria, which will be progressively repeated. A plan is in place to gradually bring back staff from abroad, maintaining a minimum number of local or international personnel in each country. Staff travelling abroad are provided with FFP3 masks for use in any areas at risk (e.g. airports); a segregated area has been set up separately from the rest of the Rome headquarters, sanitised, independent, self-sufficient and accessible from outside, equipped with about 30 network points, with the relevant equipment, to be used as a "disaster room" in case of closure of the headquarters.

Tourism itineraries and all the events on the calendar are suspended. The National Railway Museum of Pietrarsa will also be closed to the public until 3rd April. For further information and refunds, please write to the email address trenistorici@fondazionefs.it

Station waiting rooms have been closed and public seating has been marked off so as to comply with the provisions of the Prime Ministerial Decree. Hand disinfectant dispensers have been made available, in addition to integrated cleaning activities, while protocols have been brought in for sanitising common areas in scheduled and recurring cycles in all the main stations of the network. Accessibility to the stations remains guaranteed.

 

All trains between Italy and France cancelled until the end of the Coronavirus emergency.