I knew that my journey had been too optimistic. I had assumed that Italian trains ran just like German trains. To-the-minute schedules that rarely fluctuated. If you booked a German train ticket connection and it told you seven minutes would be enough to make your connection, you could be pretty sure that all would work out well.
Not so in Italy. And my two hour connection time, previously so generous sounding, was suddenly gone, and I was on the fast track to spending a lonely night in a quiet train station.
The problems had started when I was determined to cross several countries, starting in southern Italy, and making my way all the way to Poland on a series of day and night trains. There was little room for error, but I was sure that my ‘generous’ connection time would allow me successful passage.
My first crucial connection of more than two hours was getting shorter and shorter, as the train became further and further delayed. My panic reached full capacity when we had been stopped at a station for almost twenty minutes longer than was planned. We made up some time, my hope went up, and then was promptly dashed as we continued along at a seemingly glacial pace.
Finally, when it became clear that I would be missing my connection and I was trying to determine which small town station would provide a relatively safe place to sleep, I flagged down the ticket-agent. I managed to communicate my problem and asked if he had any suggestions.
He immediately brought out his cell phone and made an endless phone call while I cursed my extremely limited Italian. (Sadly, the one-sided conversation did not involve cappuccino, requesting a bill, or an enquiry of how much an item cost).
After several minutes, he confimed that we would be unable to make up the connection time and my train would have left without me. He then told me to wait.
And he disappeared.
The town approached and there was no one in sight. My ticket was only good for the town listed and visions of a separate conductor throwing me off on the side of the track danced in my head.
Ten minutes to go.
Five minutes.
Two minutes.
I began to pack up my bag, deciding that I should be ready to de-train, just in case that would be the plan and my helper never returned.
Finally, about a minute before we arrived, he came running in to the car. He gestured for me to sit back down.
He tells me that my connection had been unable to wait for me at the station, however, it was able to stop safely at a stop upcoming in about twenty minutes. I was to remain on the train past my stop, and they would ensure that my connection would be there.
I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped. I asked if he was sure. The entire train would wait for me??
I figured surely that there must be several people that had that connection to make and it must have been worth it to delay the train.
Twenty minutes later, we pulled into said station. My new conductor/friend helped me off the train, and gestured to my waiting train. He then gave me the thumbs up sign, and told me to have a good night.
I ran for my connection and as I entered the platform, I realized that I was the only person getting onto the train. Nobody else had left the other train. Nobody else was running for this connection. A ticket holder stood outside of my train car, smiling and welcoming me aboard.
Less than a minute after I was on, the train departed.
An entire train full of people had been delayed. Just for me.
When I settled into my seat, my car-mates reassured me that they hadn’t been waiting long, but that yes, I had been the only person getting on, as this particular station had not even been a scheduled stop.
My journey continued on, with the unfortunate two hour delay and I missed my other three connections. But to this day, I am still amazed and impressed with the incredible kindness of the conductor and the entire train of people that had their trips paused just for me.
What’re the chances that this would happen anywhere else?? I’ll tell you. Slim to none. In France if you miss your train, it’s definitely too bad but pretty much completely your fault. Trains are not delayed. Trains are not late. It is you who is late.
I always thought highly of Italy, but this definitely made me was to spend much more time in this beautiful country!
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