ROME — FS Italiane is expanding its high-speed rail fleet through a new agreement with Hitachi Rail for nine next-generation Frecciarossa trains, part of a wider programme that aims to have 74 new high-speed trains in service by 2031, the companies said.
Trenitalia, the passenger rail unit of state-owned FS Italiane, signed the contract in March, valued at about 260 million euros ($302 million). The agreement follows a 2023 contract for 36 trains, supplemented by 10 additional trainsets through an option, bringing the number covered by the programme to 55.
FS Group said the fleet renewal is part of its strategic plan to strengthen high-speed services and modernise rolling stock. Two further deliveries are expected from 2029, when 57 of the new trains are scheduled to be operating, with the fleet planned to reach 74 by 2031. The largest delivery year is expected to be 2027, with 16 trains scheduled for delivery.
The trains will be manufactured by Hitachi Rail at its plants in Italy. The latest-generation Frecciarossa trains are designed to operate across Italy and other European rail networks and can reach operating speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour, according to Hitachi. The company said the trains will also incorporate updated traction systems and digital technology for monitoring and managing railway assets.
“This investment” will further strengthen Trenitalia's high-speed fleet, Chief Executive and General Manager Gianpiero Strisciuglio said when the contract was announced, adding that the company intended to continue investing in Italy and international markets.
The fleet expansion comes as FS Italiane also advances major infrastructure projects intended to increase the reach of Italy's high-speed network. In June, FS said testing had begun on the Brescia Est-Verona high-speed/high-capacity line, with entry into service scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. FS Group Chief Executive Stefano Antonio Donnarumma said the company was working to extend access to high-speed rail from about 1,100 kilometres of network to more than 2,000 kilometres.
FS Italiane said the wider railway investment programme involves around 1,300 construction sites across the national network during 2026, reflecting the scale of infrastructure and modernisation work underway.
The next confirmed milestone for the Hitachi fleet programme is the planned delivery schedule, with 16 trains due in 2027 and the overall fleet target of 74 new-generation Frecciarossa trains set for 2031.
