(CNN) – We tested before the trip, quarantine on arrival and ‘covid-free’ flights. Now something new is coming in the fight against the pandemic in the travel industry: ‘covid-free’ trains.
The concept is introduced in Italy, the first European country to be hit hard by Covid-19, which is in the grip of a dreaded third wave one year later.
But the country’s main train operator has announced plans for ‘covid-free’ trains, which are heading to Italy’s main tourist destinations this summer.
Gianfranco Battisti, CEO of the state-run Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, said that on these trains, both passengers and staff would be tested for Covid-19 before boarding. Passengers must arrive at the station one hour before departure.
“We’re starting a train without a start for the beginning of April,” Battisti said.
“We have chosen the Rome-to-Milan route for the initial testing phase. Then we will implement it for tourist destinations for the summer.
“It will be a unique opportunity that enables people to visit destinations like Venice and Florence.”
The company is working with the Red Cross and the Italian Civil Protection on testing. A Trenitalia spokesman told CNN that further details could not be confirmed at this time. However, the Rome-Milan tickets are expected to be on sale on the high-speed Frecce trains in the near future.
At present, Italian trains run at 50% capacity. Passengers must wear masks and must sit on high-speed trains, where mandatory, on their assigned seat.
Battisti’s remarks come during a presentation in Rome of the ‘treno sanitario’, or ‘health train’ – a mobile hospital with eight carriages designed to care for patients transported between regions. It was developed while Italy was struggling with a third wave of Covid-19, and some regional health services are under more pressure than others.
The train – with three ICU carriages equipped with fans – can even take passengers abroad if necessary.
Meanwhile, 11 major train stations in Italy will allocate ‘screening areas’ run by the Red Cross – presumably to be used for the Covid-free services.
Hubs include Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples, Venice Mestre and Bari, for those traveling to beach resorts in Puglia.
The Termini station in Rome should also become a hub for the vaccination program, which the government has promised to speed up, as many 80s Italians are still waiting for their injections.