A train conductor in Italy was seriously injured on Monday after being stabbed by two young men of North African origin on a regional train in Genoa Rivarolo, sparking a nationwide strike by railway staff unions in response to the escalating violence faced by their workers.
The attack occurred around 1 p.m. on the Genoa Brignole-Busalla route aboard regional train 12042, when the 44-year-old conductor was checking tickets.
The two perpetrators, reportedly without tickets, attacked the conductor during a routine inspection. One of the attackers, a 21-year-old Egyptian, allegedly used a knife to stab the conductor twice. The other suspect, a 17-year-old minor of North African origin with Italian citizenship, was also involved in the assault. Both attackers fled the scene but were quickly apprehended by police thanks to descriptions provided by passengers.
The injured conductor was rushed to the Villa Scassi hospital in serious condition. Train services were temporarily halted as emergency services and law enforcement responded to the attack.
Following the assault, six major trade unions announced an eight-hour national strike for all railway workers, set to begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. The unions cited the “violent and repeated attacks” on their staff in recent months, stressing the lack of adequate protection for workers.
“The gravity and intolerability of these episodes urgently require firm and decisive intervention,” the unions said in a joint statement.
The stabbing is the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting railway personnel. In 2023, unions had already raised alarms about the rise in attacks on staff, but they claim no significant security improvements have been made.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini condemned the attack in a post 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,” Salvini wrote. He reiterated his commitment to enhancing safety measures on Italy’s trains and in stations, while also criticizing what he called “years of wrong choices” by previous governments, referring to policies of open-door mass migration.
As investigations continue, the two suspects remain in custody, and the weapon used in the attack has been confiscated.
The case is being handled by the Genoa prosecutor’s office.
