Trenitalia wants to take advantage of the liberalization of the railway market in Europe. Having become the SNCF’s main high-speed competitor in France with its link between Paris and Milan, the Italian operator now wants to offer fast links to other major cities on the continent, indicates an article in the financial times.
Brussels, Amsterdam and Berlin
“Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (the public company that owns 100% of Trenitalia, editor’s note) wants a high-speed rail service connecting Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris and possibly Berlin to take advantage of EU rules that bind countries to allow competition at its highest point -speed of the networks”, writes the British newspaper.
A new trans-European link since Trenitalia wants to launch a Paris-Madrid via Barcelona by the end of 2024.
“Currently it is only offered by one company because they have merged (Eurostar and Thalys, editor’s note),” Palasciano Villamagna, director of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, told the FT.
More trains to compete with planes
Since June 2019, new EU rules should promote competition, in particular to make trains a more attractive option for travelers than short-haul flights.
The move is aimed at expanding the market, making trains a more competitive option compared to short-haul flights, in one of the biggest changes to the European rail industry in decades.
But the new lines take time to appear, a delay due to the covid pandemic, a representative of the European Railway Community, the lobby that groups railway operators, stresses to FT.
Another problem pointed out: the lack of infrastructure and high-speed lines that are still scarce to cross the borders. The lines were built to serve cities within countries, with few connections between neighboring states.
An EY study published this year estimates that the investment required to establish a large fast rail network across Europe is €550 billion.
A more premium offer on Trenitalia
Trenitalia’s strategy would be to offer a premium offer, with a higher level of service than its competitors.
This is already the case between Barcelona and Madrid, where the Iryo offer of the Italian operator competes with the AVE, the service of the Spanish public operator, Renfe, but also with Ouigo, the economic brand of SNCF, and Avlo, its equivalent in Spain.
A way to offer a complementary offer. For Palasciano Villamagna, the idea would be to persuade passengers accustomed to air connections to switch to the train, instead of picking up those already traveling with competing operators.
Source: BFM TV
