Fire disrupts Brenner rail route amid closure of key Alpine road

A fire on a railway line north of the Italian city of Verona severely disrupted train services on the key Brenner route on Saturday, the local rail company said, compounding transport problems caused by the closure of the nearby Brenner Pass road crossing.

Rail services between Peri and Dolcè on Lake Garda are affected, the state-owned railway company Ferrovie dello Stato said.

It said unknown individuals had caused damage to the infrastructure.

The affected section of track forms part of the main rail link towards the Brenner Pass and on to Austria. According to the South Tyrolean news portal stol.it, the effects are also being felt in South Tyrol.

The Brenner Pass was completely closed on Saturday due to a protest against heavy transit traffic in the region. On the Austrian side of the border, cars and motorcycles are barred from using the route between 11 am (0900GMT) and 7 pm. On the Italian side, restrictions are in force from 10:30 am until 8 pm.

During the closure, only local traffic is permitted in the affected area, and alternative routes are also restricted. Authorities had urged people to avoid car journeys at all costs and to use public transport – including the rail service in the area.