If you’re planning to travel by public transport over the weekend between the end of January and the beginning of February, you’d do well to sit down and read carefully: Rome’s Metro B is stopping.
We know what you’re thinking: “On the weekend?” Unfortunately, yes, but there’s a reason. It’s not the usual “technical failure” that leaves us sighing on the platform: the tracks need a major overhaul, and to allow workers to work their magic on the rails, trains will have to stop.
From 9:00 p.m. on Friday, January 30, until 5:30 a.m. on Monday, February 2, the blue line will undergo a facelift. Atac has decided to concentrate the hard work over the three days of the weekend to avoid paralyzing the city during peak office and school hours.
Take a deep breath: here’s everything you need to know so you’re not caught unprepared.
Atac is revamping the tracks: here’s why Metro B is stopping for three days
You may be wondering why all this commotion. The truth is that the Metro B tracks, which carry thousands of Romans and tourists every day, are in urgent need of repair. This is not a superficial cleaning, but a complete renovation of the railway infrastructure.
In simple terms: workers will dismantle and reassemble sections of track to ensure safer journeys and, hopefully, fewer jolts in the future.
The service interruption has been designed to last as little as possible, but the work is extensive. From 9:00 p.m. on Friday, while you may already be on your second toast of the evening, the construction site will get into full swing. It is ‘open-heart’ surgery on the blue line, requiring a total halt to trains on a truly crucial section of our capital.
Metro B stations that will be closed
Let’s get to the really important point: where will you have to give up the train? Service will not stop everywhere, but the affected section is the one you probably use most often if you live or work in the northeast.
Trains will stop completely on the section from San Paolo to Rebibbia (Line B) and from San Paolo to Ionio (Line B1). This means that if your destination is Termini, Tiburtina, Policlinico, or Bologna, the tracks will be deserted.
On the other hand, you can rest assured if you need to go to EUR: the San Paolo-Laurentina section will continue to operate regularly in both directions.
In short, Metro B will literally be “split” in two for 72 hours.
How to get around at the weekend: a practical guide to replacement buses
Fortunately, Atac will not leave you stranded! To replace the trains involved in maintenance work over the weekend of January 30, shuttle buses have been put in place to try to take the place of our beloved (and hated) metro.
Here’s how you’ll need to get around to survive this urban “Tetris”:
- 🚌 Line MB7: the main shuttle bus. It connects San Paolo station directly to Rebibbia, stopping near all the stations on line B that will be closed.
- 🚌 Line MB1: you need this if you are going towards Viale Ionio. It departs from Piazza Bologna and goes to the B1 terminus.
Be careful when changing: if you are coming from the south (e.g., Laurentina or Piramide) and need to go to Ionio, you will have to get off the MB7 bus at Piazza Bologna and take the MB1 shuttle. It’s a bit inconvenient, we know, but it’s the only way to get to your destination.
If you prefer to drive part of the way and then take public transport, the parking lots along Metro B will remain open. On January 30 and 31, you can park from 5:15 a.m. until 2:15 a.m.; on February 1, from 5:15 a.m. until 12:15 a.m.
A tip for the weekend if you’re in Rome
We know that dealing with Rome’s traffic on a replacement bus requires the patience of a Tibetan monk. If you have unavoidable commitments, our advice is to leave at least 30 minutes early. The shuttles are there, but they have to deal with traffic lights and cars, things that the metro usually ignores.
If you are a tourist and find yourself stuck at a stop, take the opportunity to look at Rome from the bus window: the MB7 route passes through historic areas that we often miss underground and that are worth seeing at least once in a lifetime.
A small positive in a weekend that, for the rest, will require a good deal of adaptability.