The Circumvesuviana train is disrupted, with two days of disruption on the Barra-Torre del Greco route.

Naples – A thrilling weekend for commuters on the Naples-Sorrento line. Tomorrow, Friday, August 28th, and Saturday, August 29th, Circumvesuviana train service will be completely suspended on the crucial stretch between Barra and Torre del Greco. This total shutdown threatens to disrupt the travel of thousands of passengers, especially during the peak of the late-August tourist rush.

The reason for the measure, as communicated by the Ente Autonomo Volturno (EAV), is the "completion of the regulatory upgrades of the Bosco di Portici and Cavalli di Bronzo tunnels." These structural works can no longer be postponed, but they will require an entire day's interruption of service at one of the busiest intersections of the Vesuvian network.

To mitigate the disruption, EAV has developed an alternative road transport plan, which, however, drastically reshapes the route network. Trains bound for Sorrento will not reach Naples: their journeys will terminate in Torre Annunziata. Trains on the Poggiomarino line will also be affected, stopping in Torre del Greco, leaving the connection to the capital unconnected.

The hub of the interchange will be the Villa Regina station. This is where the replacement buses activated by EAV, designed to bridge the gap between the Vesuvian area and Naples, will converge. Two types of road connections are planned: first, the "direttissimi" (direct) buses, which, traveling on the highway, will connect Naples Porta Nolana and Naples Garibaldi (Hotel Ramada stop) with Torre Annunziata and Villa Regina, with a frequency of one bus every 36 minutes (from 5:22 AM to 22:54 PM from Naples). Second, buses with intermediate stops will cover the entire route to Torre del Greco, stopping near all the train stations excluded from the stop (operating from 5:09 AM to 21:33 PM from Naples).

The plan doesn't entirely allay ridership concerns. Assoutenti Campania has intervened in the matter, acknowledging the need for the work, but requesting guarantees regarding the efficiency of the replacement service: "We hope that riders will be properly informed and that there will be an adequate number of buses to handle the flow of tourists and commuters heading to Sorrento or returning to Naples. The risk of chaos during this period is extremely high."