Myth or reality? History books tell it both ways.
I have no special knowledge in this area, however the popular version of events is that he did accomplish this, but only by stretching the schedules.
It seems to work–Amtrak’s Sunset, running on a much slower timetable than 60 years ago, now sometimes arrives on the advertised. Amazing!
Vee have ways of making zeez trains run on zee time…ya?
Yes, I have never seen an explanation as to how The Leader persuaded the trains to run on time if he did so; it may well be that the schedules were padded. I understand that the engines of the ever-late trains ran on three phase electric power, and they had only two speeds, so the trains could not be operated any faster so as to make up lost time. Again, this may be a myth.
Most likely as long as “he” was on them. You go tell the boss why the train is late, Better have a very good reason.I bet the train was ready to roll as soon as “he” arrived. We get there as soon as we get there.
World War II films I have seen of Il Duce traveling by train, it was always a steam engine. Maybe because he was traveling through Austria to Deutschland to see Der Fuehrer.
Not all of Italy’s electrics operated on three-phase power, three-phase electrification was pretty much confined to northern Italy. At any rate, the restrictions to only two or four speeds was antithetical to Mussolini’s concept of modern Italian railroading.