Train Catania to Palermo

I did a 2 week trip in Sicily traveling by train and buses. The train schedules were reliable, but they have lots of connections. If you do Catania to Palermo and you have connections, I would make sure that there are later trains from the connecting town to Palermo in case you miss a connection.

I found the trains in Sicily to be on time and reliable. They were older trains, not always many cars on routes - some had just two cars, often there was no electronic signboard in the coach nor announcement to name the upcoming stop, some did not have air conditioning, but they were clean, very cheap and on time and a budget friendly way to travel. I travelled Catania to Messina by bus with a stop in Taormina, but the train also does that route. Then travelled from Messina to Cefalù via train with an overnight stop in Olivari to visit Tindari. But that train is direct all the way to Palermo. I also travelled from Cefalù to Palermo by train and from Palermo to Mazara del Vallo by train and then Mazara del Vallo to Selinunte by train and bus. Sometimes in the very small towns the train stations are unmanned but all had ticket machines. I would travel by train or bus again in Sicily without hesitation. Just make sure you know your stops and schedules.

In addition to the coastal route through Messina, there's a faster route cutting through the center of the island. I think in the past you might have been able to make the entire trip by train, but at the moment trenitalia.com is showing a bus from Catania to Dittaino, then a train for the rest of the trip. That route takes about 3 hr. 45 min.

Take the bus. It's faster.
https://www.saisautolinee.it/