FS Group, also known as Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, also known as Trenitalia, is ordering 19 new high-speed trains from Hitachi Rail as it expands Trenitalia France’s operations in France and prepares to launch a high-speed service between Paris and London in the United Kingdom in 2029.
The order, worth around €2 billion, covers the trains as well as long-term maintenance and technical support. The new fleet will strengthen Trenitalia France’s existing services between Paris and Lyon, Paris and Milan in Italy, and Paris and Marseille, allowing the company to increase frequencies and improve its services.
The trains will also form the fleet for the planned Paris–London connection, whose launch in 2029 has been confirmed by FS Group.
Trenitalia France, which is controlled by FS International, says the new trains are designed to operate on the main European high-speed networks. The order is part of FS Group’s international expansion strategy and comes as it moves towards completing its strategic partnership with investment firm Certares.
New maintenance facility near Paris
At the same time, work is progressing on a new maintenance facility at Maisons-Alfort Pompadour, southeast of Paris. The facility is intended to provide the maintenance capacity needed to support the larger fleet and the expansion of Trenitalia France’s international services.
The Hitachi Rail agreement, together with the associated investments in manufacturing, maintenance and infrastructure, is expected to create around 2,000 jobs across France, Italy and Great Britain, both directly and throughout the wider industrial supply chain.
“This order represents a strategic step for FS Group: it strengthens our presence in France, a key market for international growth, and supports the development of increasingly efficient, sustainable and competitive high-speed services,” said Gianpiero Strisciuglio, CEO and General Manager of FS Group.
“The new trains and the new maintenance hub at Maisons-Alfort Pompadour are also fundamental elements for launching the Paris–London connection, a central project in our vision of the ‘European Metro’, the integrated high-speed network that will increasingly connect the main European cities.”
Certares founder and Senior Managing Director Greg O’Hara said the partnership was generating stronger-than-expected interest among investors.
“The potential of this partnership is exceeding our expectations. We have seen extraordinary interest from investors of all types who want exposure to the European high-speed rail market and are enthusiastic about participating with us in the development of the sector,” he said.
“It is a very strong confirmation of the investment opportunity ahead of us: combining FS Group’s operational excellence with our global travel distribution assets to build a world-class international high-speed rail platform.”
New generation of European high-speed trains
Hitachi Rail CEO Giuseppe Marino said the project would strengthen the company’s role as a technology partner for the next generation of European high-speed rail services.
“With this project, we consolidate Hitachi Rail’s role as a technology partner for the new generation of high-speed rail services in Europe,” Marino said.
“The trains will be designed to meet high standards of sustainability, operational efficiency and cross-border interoperability, which are becoming increasingly essential to support the growth of international rail traffic. The expansion of Trenitalia France’s services represents another step towards a more integrated and sustainable European mobility system.”
The new trains will feature redesigned interiors across all classes, a new bistro concept and an expanded catering offer. Passengers will also have access to next-generation Wi-Fi connectivity with speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second.
The trains are also designed to reduce their environmental impact. Up to 97.1% of each train will be recyclable, while each train is expected to produce around 120,000 tonnes less CO₂ equivalent over its lifecycle than the previous generation, according to FS Group.
Trenitalia France has also finalised commercial partnership agreements with Certares’ distribution partners. These agreements will be rolled out progressively over the coming months, expanding the company’s distribution network and supporting growth in both business and leisure travel, as well as future international services.
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