I am writing to the European parliament as a European citizen, having both British and Italian nationality.  Since moving to Italy almost a year ago in November 2006 and commuting daily from Piacenza to Milan since the end of June I would like to express my views about the rail network and in particular about the safety aspects.

I have been shocked by the general condition of Italian trains and the service offered in comparison with other European countries.
The trains are often old and frequently dirty, sometimes difficult to access with steep steps and unwieldy doors which must cause problems for the infirm and for people travelling with luggage.
The public announcements are terrible.  On more than one occasion an announcement has been made on the platform so passengers already on the train are unaware of the delay and so are not in a position to decide whether to abandon the service and take an alternative one or not.  There is a decided lack of information regarding delays during the journey and the personnel on board are often discourteous and unhelpful.

Apart from all these problems which of course I should also address with Trenitalia directly, I have been prompted to write because of the safety aspect.  I would like to bring this to the attention of the European Parliament's Health and Safety Department as I have been unable to track down an office relating to health and safety in Italy.
On the majority of trains which I have used there are doors which cannot be opened.  Apart from the inconvenience, this is a huge safety issue as in case of fire/derailment or any other reason for a swift evacuation of the train, passengers would remain trapped.  If such an incident were to occur during peak times when the corridors are often packed with standing passengers, it would be a catastrophe. I feel this is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed and I hope that if you are not able to respond yourselves that you will be able to tell me who I may contact.

Thank you for your attention.