Following the incident of alleged sabotage at the Montagnana station (Padua), where an RFI found a bicycle chain hanging on the electrical cable of the railway line, Matteo Salvini said: “Worrying events, I believe it is urgent to inform the Parliament.” maintenance worker. A few hours later, at Rome’s Aurelia station, someone tried to force the entrance to the room where the trains’ electrical control unit is located, and then break down the armored door where the machines were located.
Allegation of sabotage
Both incidents occurred after Ferrovie lodged a complaint in recent days, citing abnormal accidents in “highly suspicious circumstances”, fearing the sabotage hypothesis. In the background is the demand for the resignation of the Transport Minister by the opposition, who have been protesting months of delays and cancellations and apparent rail disruptions from north to south.
“I thank the men and women of the FS group who mobilized to protect the most sensitive points of the railway lines following complaints about numerous abnormal accidents,” Salvini said. Following the submission of the complaint, the FS decided to intensify security and surveillance at stations “and at key points of the infrastructure”, in particular by “increasing security cameras” and “ensuring the presence of RFI technicians and security guards”. Trenitalia”.
Chain hanging from a cable in Padua and attempted theft in Rome: What happened?
As RomaToday reported, the intrusion into Aurelia station was reported by FS security personnel and Ferrovie dello Stato subsequently filed a complaint against unknown persons. The hypothesis is that thieves were hunting for metal: Some alarms were broken and fence posts surrounding the area where the electrical panel was located were removed. Railway police seized hammers and screwdrivers and obtained CCTV footage to identify those responsible.
Meanwhile, in the Padua case, many people question sabotage. According to the investigation, a bicycle safety cable was found on the electrical cable of the railway line. RFI’s complaint states that the chain could damage the train’s pantograph and, as a result, “damage the power supply of the overhead line” and “endanger the movement of trains.”
in Padua #DIGOS investigating a case of alleged sabotage of the railway network. Unidentified people left a bicycle chain on the train’s power line. “It could have caused very serious damage,” says Ferrovie dello Stato. #Tg1 Giuseppe LaVenia pic.twitter.com/HanNttPd1H
— Tg1 (@Tg1Rai) January 18, 2025
However, some users report that looking at the photos, the bike chain appears to be positioned on the cable supporting the contact line, rather than on the electrical cable on which the pantograph operates. Moreover, some observe that a full-fledged sabotage could be carried out more effectively. So it’s probably not in a small line and in a clearly visible spot. While we wait for further checks, the owner of Infrastructures sounds the alarm anyway: “Attack on transport”. An allegation of crime that was also reported to the Padua prosecutor’s office by Digos.
In the light of the particularly serious news that has emerged in the last few hours, together with the alarming events in the provinces of Padua and Rome, I consider it urgent to inform Parliament.
I hope to be in Parliament starting this week.
By the way, I thank the men and women of the FS group. pic.twitter.com/y903S5nWhx— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) January 19, 2025
Source: Today IT

Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.