Trenitalia
Trenitalia is the primary operator of trains within Italy. Trenitalia is owned by Ferrovie dello Stato, itself owned by the Italian Government. It was created in 2000 following the EU directive on the deregulation of rail transport. Ferrovie dello Stato became an holding company which controls Trenitalia (trains), Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (tracks), etc.
Trenitalia offers transport around Italy (including service in Sicily and Sardinia, the ferries from mainland to the two islands are operated by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana), and also connects to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland. The company operates the ETR 500 high-speed train, and is also a partner in the Cisalpino Italy - Germany - Switzerland link.
It operates the Eurostar Italia trains, which operate Pendolino intercity trains, operating regularly between the major cities with Roma Termini acting as the hub of the operation. There are also "normal" intercity trains, which operate between the smaller cities, as well as serving the larger city. They also operate the night trains between Rome and Milan as well as between Milan and Naples or Venice. Trenitalia also operate the regional and certain aspects of the international operations.
Furthermore it holds a 51% stake in TX Logistik AG, the biggest private German freight company (which also operates in Austria, Switzerland and Sweden).
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International passenger trains
At the moment there are various types of international trains in Italy which are usually commercialised by separate units. There are various commercial units which commercialise, set ticket prices and service standards but DO NOT operate the trains. They are the following:
- Artesia: 50% owned by Trenitalia, 50% owned by SNCF French Railways. The company mainly commercialises TGV services from Paris to Milan and night trains with normal EuroCity carriages from various cities in Italy to Paris. Both the night and the day trains are operated by SNCF in France and Trenitalia in Italy. For TGVs the train drivers, the train managers and the ticket collectors change in Modane station (a station on the French border). The bar is operated all the way through by Cremonini. For night trains a locomotive change is done as well. The bed carriage staff is operated by an outside company. The trains at the moment do not operate with Artesia colours.
- Cisalpino: Cisalpino started commercialising pendolino services between Switzerland and Italy. The company is owned by Trenitalia and SBB CFF FFS (Swiss Federal Railways). The staff onboard the trains operates like Artesia: in Italy Trenitalia, in Switzerland SBB CFF FFS and in Germany DB. The restaurant car is operated by Cremonini. Cisalpino recently took over the commercialisation of EuroCity trains between Switzerland and Italy (previously commercialised by Trenitalia and SBB CFF FFS themselves). The carriages have been fully repainted in Cisalpino colours (like the pendolino trains) and one single Cisalpino locomotive is used (no locomotive change takes place on the border). As mentioned all Cisalpino trains operate in Cisalpino colours.
- Elipsos: It is a company 50% owned by SNCF and 50% owned by RENFE (Spanish Railways). The company's trains are operated by Trenitalia in Italy. The trains run between Milan and Barcellona with RENFE carriages. The staff onboard are all from the Compagnie des Wagons Lits (with Elipsos badges). The train manager is from RENFE throughout the journey but 2 Trenitalia staff are present during the journey in Italy for security reasons. The locomotive in Italy is owned and operated by Trenitalia. In Modane the locomotive is changed and an SNCF one is used and finally on the Spanish border a RENFE locomotive runs the train to Barcellona.
- TILO: Like Cisalpino it only commercialises the service. It is 50% owned by Trenitalia and 50% owned by SBB CFF FFS and runs the regional services between Italy and Switzerland. The staff all change at the border and are either FS Trenitalia or SBB CFF FFS At the end of 2007.
There are two other brands which at the moment do not commercialise the service:
- Riviera: trains between Italy and Nice, France.
- Allegro: trains between Italy and East Europe.
References
External links
Categories
Rail transport in Italy | Companies of Italy