Cisalpino reaches end of the line
The Cisalpino rail service, a Swiss-Italian joint venture, will be dissolved following years of problems with reliability and quality.
The subsidiary of Swiss Federal Railways and Trenitalia, Italy’s government-owned rail service, will cease operations on December 13, it was announced on Friday.
In September, the Federal Transportation Office had threatened to cut the service if quality didn’t improve. Cisalpino was founded in 1993.
The two companies had in recent months discussed improvements of the rolling stock and measures to improve punctuality. They will now provide service between Switzerland and Italy separately.
Five of the company’s nine trainsets will go to Trenitalia, four to the Swiss. Approximately 40 employees affected by the change will be taken on by the two companies.
Cisalpino employees said they were “disappointed” but that they accepted the decision and would ensure a phase-out of the service.
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