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Trenitalia Italian trains adding additional cheap class seats

I was reading my trade press this morning and have seen that Trenitalia is reinstating Third Class on all of its Regional trains. Tickets will not be available on-line or in stations but only in cash direct from the conductor on the train. All fares will be a flat €5.00 regardless of distance.

Old stored carriages will be pressed back into service, There will one row of wooden benches along both walls, and the floor will be covered in straw and sawdust. Passengers will be able to bring up to 3 goats or sheep or two pigs, or up to a dozen chickens. Chickens will be required to be in cages. Horses and cows (including water buffalo) will be banned.

Trenitalia says that there is a big demand for extra low priced tickets, lots of demand from passengers who want to return to their roots, and from farmers who are finding the price of driving to market too expensive.

Posted by
11179 posts

Check the date people---- Its not only Easter today.

Posted by
8440 posts

Do I need reservations, or will my Eurail pass cover them?

Posted by
1944 posts

I was all over this until the mention of the goats. There are some things I just will not do... :)

Posted by
15807 posts

But I have to get the pig TO Italy and it exceeds carryon size. Dang.

Posted by
4856 posts

I just knew there'd be at least one today. Nicely done!

Posted by
32747 posts

Yes I'm sure that these trains would be perfect for the peasant spaghetti harvest. It is a very short harvest season so you'd not want to blink for fear of missing it.

The boxes of harvested spaghetti would be fine on the floor as long as they were covered, or any goats might get their share.

It is probably worth investigating organizing a tractor ride up to the spaghetti orchard which is probably a bit of a way from the station.

Posted by
6502 posts

Well you had me all excited until the goats and sheep! But if the new train service is just a myth, how will I get to the spaghetti harvest?

Posted by
8889 posts

That famous video is about the Swiss harvest, not the Italian one. They may speak the same language both sides of the border, but there is a big cultural difference. SBB and Trenitalia have a totally different concept of what an "on time" train means.
No way I can see the SBB allowing this on Swiss rails.

Posted by
1528 posts

Well, I am old enough to have travelled, as a child, in revamped old 3rd class coaches, that really had wooden benches. They were called "corbellini", literally little baskets, but actually a pun on the name of the transportation minister Corbellini that had them built in the fifties.
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrozza_Corbellini

Posted by
13934 posts

This will be perfect for exploring my peasant roots in Northern Italy! I hope these are in service from Milano north to the old family stomping grounds!

Do you think there will be kiosks for goat/sheep/pig rentals for authenticity? Altho since I'm vegan, maybe I should just carry big baskets of zucchini? Would using packing cubes and an RS convertible backpack diminish the effect of carrying cucurbits?

Posted by
6291 posts

Thanks, Nigel. You and Pam have made my day.

Posted by
8942 posts

Would we get to meet "locals"? Soak up some atmosphere?
I'm in.

Posted by
4318 posts

I learn so much on this Forum. Laurel, thanks so much for posting the link to that informative video. I had no idea spaghetti grew on trees! I wonder if I could get one to grow in my own yard? Now I have to decide if I should show this video in my Biology classes tomorrow?

Posted by
7280 posts

Somewhere some train conductor is wondering why someone just handed him 5 Euro!