Italy is investing heavily in the modernization of regional rail transport, transforming it into a true driver of sustainable mobility.
The renewal of the train fleet with state-of-the-art rolling stock delivers faster, safer, and more comfortable services, capable of significantly reducing travel time between major cities, intermediate hubs, and rural areas. At the same time, the new multiple units are designed for energy efficiency and low emissions, reinforcing the train’s role as a real alternative to road transport. This modernization not only improves the passenger experience but also supports social and economic cohesion, facilitating access to jobs, education, and services throughout the country.
Since 2019, Trenitalia has launched a true “train revolution” to modernize regional rail transport and better meet passengers’ mobility needs. The operator aims to increase comfort, energy efficiency, and service reliability, which boosts the service’s appeal and, as a result, increases passenger numbers.
This process of developing regional rail transport began with a EUR 6 billion investment commitment to purchase 600 trains, renewing 80% of the regional rolling stock fleet. Currently, the total investment to renew Trenitalia’s train fleet has reached EUR 7 billion.
Regional transport continues to be the main pillar, viewed as an indispensable social component at the national level. Every day, over 6,500 regional trains traverse the Italian rail network, ensuring efficient connections between major urban centers, medium-sized cities, and more isolated or hard-to-reach areas.
According to plans, Trenitalia will have the youngest fleet of regional trains in Europe by 2027, meaning 80% of regional trains will be new.
“Trenitalia’s development plan for regional transport continues. By the first half of 2027, 80% of our regional train fleet will be state-of-the-art. This will be the youngest in Europe, with an average age between 5 and 10 years, whereas, at the European level, the average age typically exceeds 20 years. “A large portion of these investments is focused on the regions of southern Italy, where we have significantly strengthened our development plan,” stated Gianpiero Strisciuglio, CEO of Trenitalia, during the Feuromed 2026 event on March 18, held in Naples.
Last year, the Italian operator Trenitalia put 108 new regional trains into service, with investments of one billion EUR, as part of the rolling stock renewal program.
Under the Industrial Plan for the period 2025–2029, an additional 103 trains will be delivered, and by 2027 there will be 1,081 regional trains. The total investment in regional trains exceeds 7 billion EUR, which will bring the percentage of new vehicles to 80% by next year.
The renewed regional train fleet aims to improve reliability, service quality, and energy efficiency. This is a particularly important step for southern Italy, where, in recent years, part of the historical gap in rolling stock has been closed.
Investments in modern trains for regional transport
As a result of the regional rail transport development policy, a decade ago, Trenitalia signed a framework agreement with Hitachi Rail for the delivery of over 300 double-decker Caravaggio (Rock) electric multiple units for regional transport, with the first train entering service in 2019 in the Emilia Romagna region of northern Italy.
Trenitalia also operates Vivalto commuter trains from Hitachi. Under a contract signed in 2010, the order included 350 cars, and by 2015, the operator had ordered an additional 356 such cars.
Other new Trenitalia trains from Hitachi include the so-called “tribrid” train based on the Blues train platform. This new train, which runs on electricity, batteries, and a diesel engine, debuted in 2024. Trenitalia ordered 20 such trains from Hitachi as part of a framework agreement for over 135 trains worth 1.23 billion EUR. The firm order included the delivery of 98 trains in various configurations (with three and four cars).
The new trains operate on the rail networks of Sicily, Sardinia, Calabria, Tuscany, Lazio, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Also in 2016, Trenitalia and Alstom signed a framework agreement for the delivery of 150 electric trains with a contract value of EUR 900 million. In 2018, the Italian operator exercised an option and ordered an additional 54 Coradia Stream regional electric trains worth EUR 300 million.
Also from the French manufacturer, Trenitalia exercised another option, ordering 136 Jazz regional electric trains, which are part of the Coradia family. The last one was delivered in 2019.
In addition, Alstom unveiled the new Coradia Stream regional train in September 2025, which can travel at 200 km/h and is considered the next-generation train contributing to the revolutionization of Italy’s regional rail transport. The new trains will be put into service on the rail networks of Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio.
For Italy’s regional transport fleet, new trains are also being manufactured by Pesa, which has delivered Atribo diesel trains (known as Swing trains). The order for 40 trains has already been fulfilled.
Trains that bridge distances through innovation and comfort
In the Intercity segment, thanks to funding from the PNRR, another 38 new trains will enter service by June, designed to strengthen medium- and long-distance connections, with a significant impact particularly in the south of the country. The hybrid intercity trains are supplied by Hitachi and made their debut on the Reggio Calabria–Taranto route.
Regarding international transport, Trenitalia reopened the Milan–Paris route in April 2025 after it had been suspended since August 2023. The route is served by Frecciarossa trains, which have carried 500,000 passengers to date. Other international routes served by these trains include Paris–Marseille, and by the end of this year, tests will be conducted on the Milan–Monaco and Rome–Monaco routes in preparation for their launch in 2027. Additionally, in partnership with Deutsche Bahn, Trenitalia will offer service on the Milan–Munich route by the end of this year.
For the period 2025–2034, FS Italiane’s high-speed plan includes orders for the new ETR 1000 high-speed trains (known as Frecciarossa trains). Frecciarossa is currently a benchmark product on the European high-speed train market, supported by the engineering center in Naples (Gianturco) and a high-level Italian industrial supply chain. In this regard, the acquisition of new trains is also being pursued in this segment.
The new trains represent “an ambitious and concrete project because, in addition to the regional segment, we recently launched a new development plan for high-speed rail, which calls for the introduction of 74 Frecciarossa 1000 trains by 2030, representing an investment of EUR 2 billion for this segment alone,” added the CEO of Trenitalia.
Trenitalia operates a fleet of Frecciarossa trains consisting of the ETR 1000 models (the newest model in the Frecciarossa fleet), as well as other ETR 500, ETR 600, and ETR 700 models. The Italian operator has 46 Frecciarossa 1000 trains, and Trenitalia recently announced that it will acquire an additional 74 Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed trains through a two-billion-EUR investment, which will help increase train frequency and cross-border services. Trenitalia aims to offer alternatives to air travel to attract more passengers to rail and transform train travel into a fast, comfortable, and sustainable option capable of meeting the modern needs of travelers.
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