Train services running through central Italy faced delays of over an hour on Saturday after a suspected sabotage incident during the Olympic Games, as reported by Reuters.
Routes between Naples in the south and Rome were disrupted, with additional delays reported on the line heading north toward Florence, Reuters reported.
Transport Minister Matteo Salvini condemned the individuals responsible, following similar disruptions on the network last Saturday and a less serious incident earlier in the week.
The stoppages come as Italy hosts the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo from February 6-22, Reuters reported.
“These are hateful criminal acts aimed at workers and at Italy,” Salvini said in a statement.
"I hope that no one plays down or tries to justify these crimes which put lives at risk," he added, as reported by Reuters.
The authorities were investigating burnt cables on a section of the high-speed line between Rome and Naples on Saturday, and two other possible acts of vandalism between the capital and Florence. National police said that initial investigations indicated that these were “definitely criminal acts”.
Railway and political police officers were preparing a report to be sent to Rome prosecutors in the coming hours to formally open a criminal investigation, they said.
An anarchist group took responsibility for an attack on the network last Saturday, the first full day of the Games, when damage to rail infrastructure near Bologna caused delays of up to two and a half hours on high-speed, Intercity, and regional trains.
(With inputs from Reuters)
