Traffic on the Brennero-Trento railway line was severely disrupted for several hours on Thursday following a collision between a regional train and several freight cars. The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 a.m. near Via Vittime delle Foibe in the northern area of Trento, between the towns of Mezzocorona and Trento. Service was restored in the afternoon.
Initial reports indicate that during shunting operations in the Roncafort area of Trento, a number of freight cars became detached from their convoy and collided with a regional train that was stationary at a signal. The impact derailed a single carriage of the regional train. Three people on board sustained minor injuries, though the majority of passengers and crew were unharmed.
Emergency services, including fire crews, civil protection, railway police, and forensics teams, were dispatched to the scene. Passengers from the affected train completed their journey on a replacement bus service.
Technicians from Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) worked to restore full functionality to the critical Brennero line, a major transport link between Northern, Central, and Southern Europe that sees up to 100 trains daily. The prolonged closure caused significant disruptions to both high-speed and regional services. RFI activated bus replacements and enhanced passenger assistance. The damaged freight cars were removed by early afternoon, with operations continuing to clear the derailed regional train.
Following the collision, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, called for urgent and in-depth investigations to determine the dynamics and responsibilities of the incident. In a subsequent statement, RFI confirmed that traffic had resumed in the afternoon, noting that “the episode did not cause damage to the infrastructure nor serious injuries to passengers and onboard staff. The prompt intervention of technicians allowed for the rapid restoration of the line’s full functionality.”