ROME — Italy’s national railway company has lodged a formal complaint with law enforcement, expressing concerns that recent power outages causing significant train delays throughout the country are suspicious by nature.

Ferrovia dello Stato, the operator of the Trenitalia service, stated that it is unlikely this series of outages is merely coincidental, particularly given that they occurred during busy travel periods from major cities like Rome and Milan. While the railway company did not directly claim sabotage, their statement emphasized that the nature and frequency of the disruptions have raised serious questions.

Luca Ciriani, the government minister in charge of parliamentary relations, acknowledged the impact these disruptions have had on travelers but asserted that such problems are not persistent or unprecedented. He affirmed the government’s commitment to enhancing the rail service with support from European Union funding.

The ongoing turmoil within Italy’s railway system has become a significant issue for Transport Minister Matteo Salvini. Opposition members are criticizing him for neglecting his responsibilities in favor of pursuing other, more high-profile positions within the government.

On Wednesday, the 5-Star Movement called for Salvini to address parliament regarding the train delays, referencing a recent tweet in which he discussed his meeting with Gideon Saar, Israel’s foreign minister, highlighting the perceived discrepancy between his political engagements and the pressing concerns in his role.