Latest news with #FSGroup
Local Germany
22-05-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
Italy confirms high-speed rail links with Germany and Austria 'by 2026'
Trenitalia's famed Frecciarossa ('red arrow') high-speed trains are set to operate on international routes as soon as next year, Italy's national rail operator Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS Group) said on Wednesday as it confirmed long-discussed plans to Italian media. 'The new cross-border high speed connections from Milan to Munich and Rome to Munich will be active by 2026,' FS Group management said in a statement , following agreements made with German railway company Deutsche Bahn and Austrian operator ÖBB. 'Services will be gradually extended to Berlin and Naples from December 2028.' The European Commission had chosen the rail link between Italy, Austria and Germany as a pilot scheme for a wider 'European Metro' improved high-speed rail network, the company said. The Milan-Munich route is expected to take 6.5 hours, with stops in Brescia, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck. The Rome-Munich route, taking 8.5 hours, will stop in Florence, Bologna, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck. Travel time is expected to be cut by an hour in future with the reopening of the Brenner Base Tunnel rail link, the statement said. Advertisement From December 2028, the company plans to operate a total of ten high-speed routes between Italy and Germany: Milan and Munich; Milan and Berlin; Rome and Munich; Naples and Munich; and Naples and Berlin. 'The new Frecciarossa connection will offer a direct service between Italy and Germany, passing through Austria, and will have a significant impact on rail connections between the two countries,' the company stated. 'With the support of German infrastructure, which connects to numerous other countries, the line will also fill a transport demand for other destinations such as Frankfurt and Krakow.' Trenitalia already operates several non-high-speed cross-border routes, including Venice-Vienna, Trieste-Ljubljana, Milan-Zurich and Verona-Innsbruck. The latest announcement came after FS Group revealed in April that it also aims to launch a London-Paris service in competition with Eurostar by 2029. "Evaluations are underway for possible extensions of the London-Paris service through Lille, Ashford, Lyon, Marseille and Milan," it said.
Local Italy
22-05-2025
- Business
- Local Italy
Italy confirms high-speed rail links with Germany and Austria 'by 2026'
Trenitalia's famed Frecciarossa ('red arrow') high-speed trains are set to operate on international routes as soon as next year, Italy's national rail operator Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS Group) said on Wednesday as it confirmed long-discussed plans to Italian media. 'The new cross-border high speed connections from Milan to Munich and Rome to Munich will be active by 2026,' FS Group management said in a statement, following agreements made with German railway company Deutsche Bahn and Austrian operator ÖBB. 'Services will be gradually extended to Berlin and Naples from December 2028.' The European Commission had chosen the rail link between Italy, Austria and Germany as a pilot scheme for a wider 'European Metro' improved high-speed rail network, the company said. The Milan-Munich route is expected to take 6.5 hours, with stops in Brescia, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck. The Rome-Munich route, taking 8.5 hours, will stop in Florence, Bologna, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck. Travel time is expected to be cut by an hour in future with the reopening of the Brenner Base Tunnel rail link, the statement said. From December 2028, the company plans to operate a total of ten high-speed routes between Italy and Germany: Milan and Munich; Milan and Berlin; Rome and Munich; Naples and Munich; and Naples and Berlin. 'The new Frecciarossa connection will offer a direct service between Italy and Germany, passing through Austria, and will have a significant impact on rail connections between the two countries,' the company stated. 'With the support of German infrastructure, which connects to numerous other countries, the line will also fill a transport demand for other destinations such as Frankfurt and Krakow.' Trenitalia already operates several non-high-speed cross-border routes, including Venice-Vienna, Trieste-Ljubljana, Milan-Zurich and Verona-Innsbruck. The latest announcement came after FS Group revealed in April that it also aims to launch a London-Paris service in competition with Eurostar by 2029. "Evaluations are underway for possible extensions of the London-Paris service through Lille, Ashford, Lyon, Marseille and Milan," it said.
Local Italy
09-04-2025
- Business
- Local Italy
Italy announces plans for high-speed train route linking Milan to London
State operator Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS Group) said on Tuesday it was planning to launch a London-Paris service in competition with Eurostar by 2029. "In addition to the London-Paris connection, the FS Group is studying further opportunities for the expansion of High Speed in Europe," the group said in a press release published on its website. "Evaluations are underway for possible extensions of the London-Paris service through Lille, Ashford, Lyon, Marseille and Milan," it added. FS Group said it intended to model the trains serving the line on its high-speed Frecciarossa ('red arrow') trains operated by subsidiary Trenitalia. The company plans to invest €1 billion in the project, which is intended to "increase rail competitiveness between London and Paris," it said. FS Group has also recently signed an agreement with Spanish high-speed rail start-up Evolyn, the statement said, without providing further details. "This investment represents a decisive step in the FS Group's vision to build a more integrated, competitive and sustainable European railway network," said FS Group head Stefano Antonio Donnarumma. "High-speed rail is the backbone of efficient and environmentally friendly mobility and, by expanding our presence on key corridors, we are not only investing in infrastructure and innovation, but also in the future of European transport." unveiled plans to increase international high-speed rail travel between London and continental Europe in partnership with French operator Getlink. Media reports at the time suggested this could open the door for a direct London to Milan train route.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
London to Paris or Milan? Eurostar rival sets out new plans for high-speed European links from St Pancras
Italy's national rail operator has announced plans to take on Eurostar by running high-speed trains between London and Paris by 2029. It is also considering further extensions of the route to Lille, Lyon, Marseilles and Milan – and could also see trains stopping at Ashford in Kent, which has not been used by Eurostar since the start of the pandemic. The announcement is the latest to boost hopes of a major breakthrough in cross-Channel rail travel. Last week The Standard revealed the hopes of the boss of St Pancras station to have a 'turn up and go' service that enabled travellers to arrive 15 minutes before their train departed. The FS Italiane Group, also known as Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, already holds a 30 per cent stake in Avanti West Coast, the long-distance operator on the West Coast Main Line, and owns the c2c railway between Fenchurch Street and Essex through its subsidiary Trenitalia. Earlier this month the FS Group reopened its spectacular Frecciarossa Paris to Milan service across the Alps. The route had been blocked by a major landslide two years ago. The firm, which is the first 'alternative operator' on the French high-speed network, also operates a 'shuttle service' between Paris and Lyon and will launch a Frecciarossa connection between Paris and Marseilles on June 15. The possibility of rival train firms entering the cross-Channel route from St Pancras have increased with the indication from the Office of Rail and Road that there may be spare capacity at the Government-owned Temple Mills train depot in Leyton for other operators in addition to Eurostar. FS Italiane Group said it had signed a 'memorandum of understanding' with the Spanish rail firm Evolyn, which went public in 2023 with its plans to operate international trains from St Pancras. However Evolyn has fallen behind in its initial aim to start running services from 2025. It is not clear whether it will now merge its plans with those from the FS Group or whether the two firms will remain separate but work together. A merger would place the new partnership in competition with the Virgin group to be the first to run trains in competition with Eurostar. The FS Group said it was investing a billion euros in building a 'more integrated, competitive, and sustainable European rail network'. The new London to Paris service would use Frecciarossa-inspired trains, which run in Italy with a top speed of 186mph (300kmph). The aim is to lure air passengers to the railway using high-speed international trains. Stefano Antonio Donnarumma, FS Group chief executive, said: 'This investment is a decisive step forward in FS Group's vision of building a more integrated, competitive and sustainable European rail network. 'High-speed rail networks are the backbone of efficient and environmentally friendly mobility, and by expanding our presence on key corridors, we are not just investing in infrastructure and innovation, but also in the future of European transport. 'More competition will help to create a more efficient and customer-oriented industry, offering a real alternative to air travel.'
