Rome commuters unable to get out of locked stations

Commuters on the Rome-Viterbo light rail service were locked in a number of train stations during the capital's 24-hour public transport strike on 1 October.

The incidents occured when commuters from Piazzale Flaminio on the north-bound trains during the strike's second phase of guaranteed transport, 17.00-20.00, reached their destinations to find the stations locked, and no officer on duty in time to re-open the gates.

The stations involved were Labaro, Giustiniana and La Celsa, although there may have been others affected on the line, which is operated by Rome transport company ATAC whose employees were on stike.

The news came to light in the blog pendolariromanord which published photographs of the trapped commuters and wrote "The paradox is that those who got off the train could not leave the station, and those who wanted to take that train were unable to do so because the gates were closed. Some commuters called the police because they panicked."