Potential strike disruption for train travel

The strike is from 2100 on the 22nd to the 2100 on the 23rd.

Long distance, big city trains are usually less affected than smaller regional trains by short work stoppages. The train companies focus the employees they do have on bigger more important trains. But as always in Italy - "usually, usually" means your mileage may vary. If you're locked into your travel dates - hotels, tickets etc - there's probably not much you can do but show up and hope for the best.

I would check out tickets for a "back-up plan" if your train doesn't show up, but that's a good idea anyway. I had to rearrange some "Base" tickets I had purchased and it was generally an easy experience.

I would download the Trentilia app and keep any eye on it. You can buy tickets on it but you can also track trains in real time and I was impressed by how well it worked. Assuming your train starts somewhere else you will be able to see that it is actually on the move rather than just waiting to see if it shows up. It is also really handy for knowing the assigned track for your next train if you are making a quick change in the station.

We were going to take a later regional train out of Milan but our host informed us of the strike that started at 9:00am so we booked 8:30 tickets then next day and got out under the wire and made our destination.

Good luck,
=Tod

Thanks for the clarification on the strike dates and the great advice from Tod!

The strike is only on Trenord, the regional train that services the Lombardia area around MIlan. I don't think it will effect Trenitalia, the train that services all of Italy.

Italotreno's trains are as fast as Trenitalia's Frecce, but their employees have gone on strike twice in 10 years. I'd write "Italo's workers usually do not strike", but I must have misunderstood what "usually" (and "Always") means. Second best option, is finding the list of Trenitalia's long distance trains guaranteed to run during a strike and get a ticket for one of those.

Incidentally, train companies do not "focus the employees they do have on bigger more important trains". Not only because of the wage gap and the different technical skills needed to run a 300 kph train and a local Regionale built in the 90s. If Trenitalia moved workers from its subsidized Regionale division to the Frecce division during a strike, the EU's competition watchdog would declare war on Italy.

What is the best source of information about transportation strikes?

I use these sites: https://www.cgsse.it/calendario-scioperi?page=0
http://scioperi.mit.gov.it/mit2/public/scioperi
You will need powers of deduction and google translate if you cannot read italian

I know, I know... There was a train strike during one of our travel days last May. Because I'm a planner, it gave me a bit of anxiety but it turned out just fine. From what I could figure it, it seems the strikes are pretty civilized in Italy. There wasn't a total shutdown which is what I think of for a "strike". Italians gotta get places, too and the train people don't want to strand them. Everybody's got to get to work and home. You will be inconvenience but probably not abandoned. We talked to an agent who booked us on a train that he knew would run. Early mornings, rush hours and the long, fast routes will go. As much as I don't like uncertainty, once I started thinking of it as an adventure, it felt a little better.... It's okay to freak but, from experience, I can tell you that it should be okay. I hope that is some comfort.

Robert,
I just returned and my day arrival was also a "national strike day" High speed trains are not affected also the Leonardo Express train from the airport runs. I could not figure out where the strike was impacting as Termini was as busy as ever.

Thanks, Ellen and everyone else. Consensus is not to worry so I’ll go with that!