Unexpected Delays and Developments in Rome's Tram Network

The sweetener is, at half past midnight on the night between August 5th and 6th, the arrival at Ostiense station of the second Hitachi train, which will eventually serve on the B line of the metro. However, behind the candies, there is a surprise: months of stoppages, construction sites upon construction sites, and yet the trams will stop again. Two months of stoppage, between October and November, to allow Anas to complete the redevelopment work on the pillars of the eastern ring road, the overpass, right in front of the tram depot in Rome. The electrical power supply to the trams will need to be disconnected to allow workers to operate safely. THE POST. The announcement is made by the Transport Councilor, Eugenio Patanè, in a video posted on his Facebook page. After announcing the arrival of the second Hitachi train, Patanè says: "I'll start right away with the bad news: due to the work that Anas will have to carry out on the eastern ring road both on the pillars, on the consolidation and redevelopment, and on the span, it will be necessary to prevent the exit and entry of trams from the Porta Maggiore depot. We need to work safely and therefore the overhead line will be disconnected. Therefore, it will not be possible to travel via Prenestina or via dello Scalo San Lorenzo. These works, which were supposed to be done in 2026, have been brought forward because in December the first new tram convoy will arrive at Porta Maggiore. These are the new Caf trams we have ordered, the first of 121. By June 2026, another 10 will arrive (otherwise goodbye to the Pnrr funds of the Tva, editor's note). Therefore, it is evident that from December the entire tramway must be free. This is the reason for the advance of the works. The tram service will be replaced by buses during these 60 days." THE ANNOUNCEMENT. Then, however, Patanè adds: "Since we learned about the advance of the works, we have done everything to incorporate a piece of the comprehensive plan to redevelop Rome's tram network that was scheduled for next year. With a mayoral ordinance, three extraordinary maintenances will be carried out: the Celio project with grass between the tracks; the Ostiense project with the replacement of 6 switches; the Galeno project with the replacement of 4 switches and 4 'crossings'. In this way, we will avoid the need for line stops for these interventions in 2026." Patanè then announced the completion of the rail replacement works on the 8 where the tram derailed last June 30. According to the councilor, therefore, pre-operation begins now and next week the line should be back in operation. In reporting some information, in the video, Patanè also explained how until today, despite repeated closures for weeks, "to date, 30% of the tracks and tram equipment have been replaced, for a total of about 24 km of tracks out of a total of 65 to reach, by the end of 2028, an additional 15 km of tracks for a total of 39 km for a total expenditure of about 32.5 million euros." PRATI. "In the budget amendment just approved - Patanè said again - we have allocated funds for the construction of the tram 19 terminus in Prati which will be built on Viale delle Milizie after the intersection on Via Barletta and before the intersection with Via della Giuliana for a total cost of about 6 million euros." In fact, therefore, the farewell of the terminus of 19 in Piazza Risorgimento also marks the renunciation to build the "Vatican arm" of the "Termini-Vaticano-Aurelio" line, the Tva, the tram on Via Nazionale: after a thousand somersaults to save a poorly conceived project, the "V" of Vatican that should have had, in the original project, the terminus right in Piazza Risorgimento, disappears definitively.