Dodgy Trains of the World - Part 1

Of it's very nature a passenger train exists to serve. The service that a train might reasonably be expected to provide is to safely transport passengers from one location to another according to a time schedule and in some comfort and security.

One such passenger train that does not meet this criteria is the Viterbo to Roma line that has it's main station at Flaminio in Roma.

The fact that the stations along it's only line completely bereft of a discernible time table seem to have more to do with the operators hedging their bets. If you don't know what time a train is supposed to arrive or leave then they seem to think it's less likely that you'll be disappointed when the expectation isn't met.

A case in point based on my experience would be the first train of a work day from Morlupo station to Flamino. This train is supposed to arrive at Morlupo at 5:25am. Given that this slug on wheels normally takes 45 minutes to creep along the windy track to the city leaving on time is important if you intend to catch an 6:30am international train from Rome's Termini station.

So much to my disappointment but not surprise it arrived at Morlupo about 7 minutes late, and then continued this trend all the way to Flaminio station at Rome ultimately arriving about 20 minutes late. The net result? Well, I missed the only connection to an international fast train.

The trains on the Vitterbo line are not only slow, but also grotty, covered in skill-less graffiti and contain no external and little internal indication of where they intend to go. The LED signs on the platform don't help much either - a kind of vacant attempt at technology that's actually useless.

The only sure way to work out what a train's intention will be, is to ask the driver or a well frustrated passenger who regularly depends on this "service".

While it's lovely to see a statue of the Madonna on the platform of this line's main station, one can't help but wonder how bad the service would be without divine assistance.