Roma-Pompei direct train goes from monthly to weekly after backlash

After announcing a direct high-speed train from Rome to Pompeii in April 2023, the Italian Ministry of Culture faced ridicule when it revealed the service would run only once a month. Social media erupted with memes, including a parody of Drake and criticism from Campania governor Vincenzo De Luca. On July 18, Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano, alongside Minister of Infrastructure Matteo Salvini and FS Group CEO Luigi Ferraris, announced the service would become weekly starting August 6, quadrupling the offer. The inaugural run on July 16, attended by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was described as a boomerang: the train was half-empty, the tourism minister was absent, and journalists were kept separate. Students and archaeology researchers were reportedly loaded to fill seats. The controversy highlighted tensions around cultural tourism infrastructure in Italy.