Italy approves regulation for single freight train driver
Author: Marco Raimondi
16.10.2025 | Freight trains in Italy still require two people in the locomotive due to safety reasons. However, the country’s ministry of transport approved a new regulation, which will enter into effect on 25 October 2025, eliminating this requirement.
Currently, the second driver is there to ensure continuity of transport in case the first one has a health emergency. In other words, if the first driver has, for example, a heart attack, the second driver can take over and drive the train to a safe spot where it is easier to provide medical aid.
However, modern safety and braking systems have already led many EU countries to only deploy one driver. Italy will join this group before the end of this month. This new approach is also approved by the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), as long as response time to an emergency is quick enough.