Transport, after Avellino FS Station, Castellammare di Stabia re-opens too

Cut–proof public transport. Regione Campania came off worst, as elsewhere in Italy, within the more general dispute among Regions and Government but it is making its best to ensure as much as possible services for users. Regional Minister Sergio Vetrella pointed out: “After having avoided the closure of the FS station in Avellino a few days ago, we were also able to provide the re-opening of that in Castellammare di Stabia, too”.

A success, within an austerity context, that will enable travellers coming from that area to reach Naples and all 2 Line stops of the Neapolitan underground by a single train.

It feels like saying that the two extreme ends of the metropolitan area, namely Castellammare di Stabia and Pozzuoli, keeps connected. The outcome, that meets the demanding requests of users and commuters, resulted from an arm wrestling between Regione and Trenitalia. Mr. Vetrella added: “We allowed the re-opening of the Castellammare di Stabia station, that had been closed by Ferrovie dello Stato without the final authorization of Regione”.

Moreover, the other local railway, Circumvesuviana is experiencing a difficult situation, assuaged by a demanding special maintenance of trains plan. The aim: making services return to normality as soon as possible.

Within these remarkable cuts on state transfers concerning public transport, we cannot but bear in mind wastes, too. Passengers on the route section Torre Annunziata – Castellammare cost 10 € each. Thus, this situation needs to be monitored in order to assess carefully if the service keeping is reasonable. Mr. Vetrella concluded: “Over the next years, funds will be transferred to regions by the Government through criteria that will award those regions that prove to be more virtuous. We wanted for the first time to give a part of the funds concerning road public transport services to Provinces and Provincial Capitals according to rewarding criteria”.

Thus, a kind of spending review concerning local transport is about to start. In this context that is lacking of resources, we cannot make empty trains and public expenditure travel together. And this is exactly to ensure more useful services for citizens and commuters.