In Italy, train leaves early to arrive on time

Rome: Passengers of an Italian high speed train were left stranded last week after it departed almost one hour early so it could arrive on time, th...

Rome: Passengers of an Italian high-speed train were left stranded last week after it departed almost one hour early -- so it could arrive on time, the train operator acknowledged Monday.

Rome's Termini station had been full of travellers last Friday anxious about the effect of a national transport strike which stopped local buses, trams and the subway.

Thankfully, Trenitalia's high-speed "Silver Arrow" to Genoa, in northwest Italy, was operating, scheduled to leave at 4:20 pm.

But when it was time to board, dozens of passengers searched in vain for the train on the departure board -- only to discover it had left at 3.30 pm.

The train had to take a slower route due to maintenance on the usual line, the railway operator explained. But to arrive on time, this meant leaving 50 minutes earlier.