Italy's trade unions pressed ahead with a 24-hour general strike in support of Gaza beginning at 9pm on Thursday, despite government threats to block the action after the strike regulator deemed it "illegitimate".
The union said that the walkout was a form of “concrete opposition” to the Italian government's “complicity” in the ongoing Israeli offensive in Palestinian territory.
READ ALSO: 'Block everything': Anti-war protests grow in Italy as general strike begins
The strike affects rail services across Italy, as well as education and healthcare services in both the public and private sector.
The exact timing of strike action varies by sector and location, and it was unclear in advance of the strike how severe disruption would be.
Flights were expected to operate as normal as airport and airline staff were not set to participate in the strike.
Trains cancelled and delayed
Rail services were expected to be worst hit by the strike action, and at least some cancellations have been reported across most Italian cities on Friday morning.
In Milan, cancellations were reported at all of the city's main train stations (including Milano Centrale, Garibaldi, and Rogoredo) along with delays of between 20 minutes and five hours.
There had already been some disruption seen at Milan's Cardorna station on Thursday evening due to anti-war protests connected to the strike action.
In Rome, there were cancellations and delays of up to 80 minutes at the capital's main Termini station due to the strike. Metro lines A, B, and B1 were operating as normal. Metro line C remained suspended due to scheduled maintenence work.
In Venice, as of 10am, "almost all" trains were cancelled at Santa Lucia and Mestre stations, according to news agency Ansa.
In Naples, local media reported the entire Metro Line 1 was closed on Friday morning due to the strike.
Rail network manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) had said earlier this week that the strike would affect train journeys from 9pm on Thursday until 9pm on Friday.
National rail operator Trenitalia said in a statement that it would guarantee some regional commuter services from 6am to 9am and from 6pm to 9pm.
You can find full details about guaranteed regional services in each Italian region on Trenitalia’s website (under treni garantiti: ricerca per regioni).
Trenitalia said that passengers who have booked Intercity or high-speed Freccia journeys can request a refund up until the booked departure time.
READ ALSO: How you can travel in Italy when there's a transport strike
People planning to travel with Trenitalia were advised to check the status of their journey before setting off via the Infomobilità section of the website or mobile app, or by calling customer support at 800892021 (toll-free).
Trenord
Trenord, which runs many regional services in Lombardy, including connections to and from Milan’s Malpensa Airport, said the strike could affect the operation of regional, suburban, airport and long-distance routes.
The operator said it would guarantee essential services from 6am to 9am and 6pm to 9pm on Friday.
Should airport link services be cancelled due to the strike, replacement buses will run between Milan Cadorna (Via Paleocapa 1) and Malpensa Airport, and between Stabio and Malpensa Airport, Trenord said.
READ ALSO: Can I get a refund in Italy if my train is cancelled because of strikes?
For all the latest updates, see Trenord’s website or mobile app, or call their support centre at 0272494949. Trenord’s customer support centre is open from 6am to midnight every day.
Trenitalia Tper
Services run by Trenitalia Tper, which operates lines in the northeastern Emilia Romagna region, may also experience delays or cancellations due to the walkout.
The operator said it would guarantee a minimum level of service over the following time slots: from 6am to 9am and from 6pm to 9pm.
You can find a full list of guaranteed train journeys here.
Trenitalia Tper’s customer support team can be contacted at 840 151 152 every day between 7am and 8pm.
What to do if your train is cancelled
If a pre-booked rail service is cancelled due to strike action in Italy, passengers are normally allowed to travel on equivalent services or are entitled to a refund.
For further information on requesting a refund from Trenitalia and Italo, see our separate article.
Keep up with the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.
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