Italy – Germany high speed train service to launch in December

EUROPE: An agreement for the operation of direct Frecciarossa high speed train services linking Italy and Germany via Austria has been signed by national operators Trenitalia, DB and ÖBB.

Services from Milano and Roma to München are to be introduced in December 2026. The journey time for the 600 km route from Milano will be around 6½ h, and the 900 km trip from Roma will take around 8½ h.

The services will be extended from December 2028, when there will be five train pairs running Milano – München, Milano – Berlin, Roma – München, Napoli – München and Napoli – Berlin.

The opening of the Brenner Base Tunnel at the end of 2032 is expected to reduce journey times by an hour.

The services will be operated using Treniatlia’s Frecciarossa 1000 trainsets, which are currently being adapted by manufacturers Hitachi and Alstom for operation in Germany and Austria. The type already operates in France and Spain.

‘Connecting Italy with the main European cities by train is one of the strategic objectives of the FS Group’, said Trenitalia CEO Gianpiero Strisciuglio when the agreement was signed on May 21. ‘Frecciarossa confirms its role in the international market, with the ambition of becoming the train of Europeans and not just of Italians’.

Michael Peterson, management board member for long-distance passenger transport at DB, said ‘Europe is growing ever closer together on the railways. We see that people increasingly want to travel across borders in an environmentally friendly way by rail. Our joint project will give a further boost to the booming international long-distance transport sector. Because of the complex framework conditions, successful, cross-border long-distance transport in Europe can only be achieved through co-operation.’

His ÖBB counterpart Sabine Stock said ‘especially in the sensitive Alpine region, every passenger who chooses the train instead of car or plane is a win for the environment and the climate.’

Cross-border connections

The agreement is one of 10 pilot projects to promote cross-border rail services which are being developed with non-financial support from the European Commission.

‘The expansion of high speed rail, especially cross-border rail, is our top priority’, said Commissioner for Sustainable Transport & Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas. ‘This new connection between Germany, Austria and Italy is a strong example of progress on this path.’

Ulrich Lange, Parliamentary State Secretary to Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, said ‘these pilot connections will make a decisive contribution to strengthening European rail transport. Too often, these connections still fail due to the various peculiarities of the respective national regulations and technical constraints. These must now be addressed jointly as quickly as possible. The new German government is resolutely committed to ensuring that Europe grows even further together through environmentally and climate-friendly rail and, with a clear strategy, will also ensure that Germany once again lives up to its importance in the overall European rail system.’