LONDON — Hitachi Rail will supply 19 high-speed trainsets to Italian state railway group Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane as part of a roughly 2 billion euro ($2.3 billion) investment programme aimed at expanding Trenitalia’s services across Europe, including a planned Paris-London connection through the Channel Tunnel.
The programme will strengthen Trenitalia France’s fleet and support the operator’s ambition to begin Paris-London services by 2029, according to information reported by the rail industry publication RAIL and confirmed by company and industry sources. The planned expansion would increase Trenitalia’s high-speed presence in France while opening a new international corridor linking Britain and continental Europe.
Trenitalia France currently operates high-speed services between Paris and Lyon and Marseille, as well as international services between Paris and Milan. The company has said it intends to increase its fleet to at least 19 high-speed trainsets and develop a new maintenance facility in the Paris region.
For the proposed London service, Trenitalia France plans to use 10 second-generation ETR400 trainsets supplied by Hitachi Rail. The trains are derived from the Frecciarossa 1000 platform and will require certification for operation through the Channel Tunnel and on Britain's railway network. Trenitalia has targeted as many as 10 daily return services between Paris and London once the route is launched.
Hitachi Rail manufactures the Frecciarossa 1000 in Italy, with production centred on facilities in Naples and Pistoia. The trains are designed for international operation and can run on several European networks, including those of France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. Hitachi says the trains have a design speed of 360 kph and an operating speed of up to 300 kph.
The latest expansion builds on previous orders for Frecciarossa trains. In March, Hitachi Rail announced that Trenitalia had ordered nine additional Frecciarossa high-speed trainsets for 260 million euros, following earlier orders for new-generation ETR1000 trains. The company said the latest trains would incorporate updated digital systems and interior changes.
The Paris-London project would introduce another operator on a market currently dominated by Eurostar. Trenitalia has been preparing for the cross-Channel operation since 2025, when FS Group said it aimed to launch services by 2029.
The planned investment also includes expansion of existing French services and a new maintenance base near Paris. Trenitalia France has said the broader programme is intended to support growth in France and future international routes.
The next major steps are regulatory certification, fleet delivery and preparations for the planned Paris maintenance facility before the targeted 2029 launch.
