Authorities in Italy have reported serious sabotage targeting the railway network in the northern part of the country, resulting in major travel chaos just as the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics got underway.
The incidents occurred on February 7, 2026, coinciding with the first full day of the Games following the opening ceremony held the previous evening on February 6th.
Italian Police are investigating three linked incidents of deliberate damage to rail infrastructure, which they suspect are connected to the Olympics.
These acts disrupted high-speed, intercity, and regional train services, with delays reaching up to two-and-a-half hours and affecting thousands of passengers—including many heading to Olympic venues.
The sabotage included:
– A deliberate fire set at a track switch cabin near Pesaro on the Adriatic coast (along the Bologna-Venice/Ancona line), which occurred before dawn.
– Severed electrical cables (used for train speed detection) discovered near Bologna several hours later.
– A rudimentary explosive device found placed near the tracks in a nearby location around Bologna.
Bologna’s central station serves as one of Italy’s key rail hubs, connecting northern and southern regions as well as east-west routes, so the disruptions had widespread knock-on effects across the network, including routes toward Milan (a main host city for the Games).
Italy’s Ministry of Transport labeled the events as “serious sabotage” and drew direct comparisons to similar vandalism that targeted France’s high-speed TGV lines on the opening day of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, and investigations—involving transport police and anti-terrorism units (such as Digos)—are ongoing to determine the perpetrators and motives.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini condemned the incidents, describing them as “worrying” and of “unprecedented seriousness.”
He emphasized that such actions would not damage Italy’s global reputation, stating that the Olympics would instead enhance the country’s positive image worldwide.
These events echo a pattern of security challenges around major international sporting events, though Italian officials have stressed that the Games themselves—running from February 6 to 22—continue without broader interruption to competitions or venues.
