A 34-year-old Trenitalia train conductor, Alessandro Ambrosio, was found dead on Monday evening near the employee parking lot of Bologna’s main railway station, in what authorities believe was a fatal stabbing to the abdomen.
The body was discovered near the parking area reserved for railway staff shortly after 6 p.m. local time. Emergency medical services were called to the scene but were unable to revive the man, who was found lying in a pool of blood.
Authorities responded to the incident, alongside the coroner, and forensic examinations are underway.
Initial findings indicate that Ambrosio was not on duty at the time of his death. He reportedly worked primarily on Intercity services. According to an early reconstruction by police reported on by Corriere di Bologna, the body was discovered by an employee of Italo, the private high-speed rail operator, who alerted the railway police and triggered the first response.
Late on Monday evening, Il Giornale cited Galeazzo Bignami, leader of the local Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, who claimed the attacker had been identified. He is believed to be “a deranged man already known to law enforcement, originally from Eastern Europe.” The attacker was reportedly filmed wandering around the area, but is still on the run.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who is also the minister for transport and infrastructure, said he “is deeply saddened by the tragedy.” According to a statement, Salvini “expresses his heartfelt sympathy to the victim’s family and his colleagues, and is in constant contact with the law enforcement agencies who are investigating.” Salvini also “reaffirms his determination to increase the number of security uniformed men and women to 1,500 to guard trains and stations.”
Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore described the killing as “a very serious act,” and said officials were “waiting to understand what happened, but in the meantime, I would like to express our closeness, at this very painful time, to the family and colleagues of the young train conductor found dead near the Piazzale Ovest parking lot of the station. We trust in the work of the investigating authorities and offer our full availability for any assistance deemed useful to the investigation.”
Authorities have not released further details about a possible motive, and the investigation is ongoing.
The fatal stabbing comes against the backdrop of mounting concern over violence against railway staff in Italy. In November 2024, six rail unions announced a nationwide strike after a train conductor was stabbed by North African migrants on a regional service in Genoa, an attack that union leaders said symbolized “violent and repeated attacks” on workers and the lack of adequate protection.
That incident occurred on the Genoa Brignole–Busalla route aboard regional train 12042, when a 44-year-old conductor was checking tickets. According to investigators at the time, two young men, reportedly without tickets, assaulted the conductor during a routine inspection. One of the attackers, a 21-year-old Egyptian, allegedly stabbed the conductor twice with a knife, while a second suspect, a 17-year-old minor of North African origin with Italian citizenship, was also involved. Both fled but were later arrested based on passenger descriptions.
In response, six major trade unions called an eight-hour nationwide strike for railway workers, beginning at 9:00 a.m. the following day. “The gravity and intolerability of these episodes urgently require firm and decisive intervention,” the unions said in a joint statement, noting that warnings about rising attacks had already been raised in 2023 without, in their view, meaningful improvements in security.
Salvini also reacted to the Genoa stabbing at the time, writing on X: “Full solidarity with the injured man, currently in serious condition. And now, no clemency for those responsible: such acts must not go unpunished.”
Authorities have not indicated whether the victim’s profession in the Bologna killing played a part in the attack.
