Trenitalia begins testing for new cross-border routes linking Italy, Austria and Germany.
Italy’s high-speed rail network is preparing for a major international expansion as Trenitalia starts technical testing for its Frecciarossa services into Austria and Germany.
The project is a collaboration between Italy’s state railways group Ferrovie dello Stato, the German railway company Deutsche Bahn, and the Austrian Federal Railways (Öbb).
The new routes are intended to connect Milan and Rome directly to Munich, with four daily connections planned between Italy and Germany, newspaper Corriere della Sera reports.
Planned rail routes
The Milan-Munich route will take around six and a half hours, with intermediate stops in Brescia, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck.
The Rome-Munich connection will take about eight and a half hours, with stops in Florence, Bologna, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck.
By utilising the Frecciarossa 1000 – the flagship of the Italian fleet capable of reaching speeds of 300 km/h – the service aims to offer a sustainable and competitive alternative to short-haul flights across the Alps.
Technical trials are currently underway to ensure the trains meet the diverse signalling and power requirements of the Austrian and German rail networks.
The service is expected to serve Milan Centrale and Rome Termini while transiting through the Brenner Pass with additional stops in Bolzano and Salzburg.
While the initial phase focuses specifically on the Milan-Rome-Munich axis, Trenitalia plans to extend the service further south to Naples by 2028, linking the southern Italian city with the German capital Berlin.
Cross-border rail travel
The development represents a significant milestone in the EuroLink project, which aims to provide seamless rail connectivity between major Italian cities and central Europe.
This move follows the successful launch of Frecciarossa services in France and Spain, further positioning the Italian operator as a major player in the liberalised European rail market.
By enhancing cross-border mobility, the project aligns with broader European Union goals to shift passenger traffic from air to rail and reduce the carbon footprint of continental travel.
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