(CNN) – We had pre-trip tests, quarantine on arrival and flights without covid. Now comes novelty in the battle of the travel industry against the pandemic: “covides-free” trains.
The concept is launched in Italy, the first European country to be hit hard by Covid-19, which, a year later, is in the grip of a dreaded third wave.
But the country’s top train operator has announced plans for “no-frills” trains, including Italy’s top tourist destinations this summer.
Gianfranco Battisti, CEO of state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, has said that on these trains, both passengers and staff will be subjected to Covid-19 screening tests before boarding. Passengers must arrive at the station one hour before departure.
“We will launch a covetous-free train in early April,” Battisti said.
“We have chosen the Rome-Milan route for the initial testing phase. We will then implement it for tourist destinations during the summer.
“It will be a unique opportunity that will allow people to visit destinations like Venice and Florence.”
The company works with the Italian Red Cross and Civil Protection in the tests. A Trenitalia spokesman told CNN that no further details can be confirmed at present. However, Rome-Milan tickets are expected to go on sale in the near future, on high-speed Frecce trains.
Currently, Italian trains operate at 50% capacity. Passengers must wear masks and, on high-speed trains, where reservation is required, must sit in the assigned seat.
Battisti’s comments came at the presentation in Rome of the “medical train” or “medical train,” a mobile hospital, with eight wagons designed to care for patients traveling between regions. It has developed as Italy struggles with a third wave of Covid-19, and some regional health services are under more pressure than others.
The train, which has three ICU wagons equipped with fans, will even be able to carry passengers abroad, if necessary.
Meanwhile, 11 major railway stations across Italy will allocate “projection” areas, which will be managed by the Red Cross, presumably to be used for Covid’s free services.
Among the centers are Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples, Venice Mestre and Bari, for those traveling to Puglia beach resorts.
Termini station in Rome will also become a center of the vaccination program, which the government has promised to speed up, as many 80-year-old Italians are still waiting for their injections.