Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) has started test runs of Frecciarossa trains in Germany and Austria as part of international certification.
Planned High-Speed Services and Journey Times
The launch of services between Milan and Munich and Rome and Munich is scheduled for summer 2027, contingent on successful certification. The commercial service plan includes four daily connections each on the Milan–Munich and Rome–Munich routes. Journey time between Milan and Munich is approximately six and a half hours with stops at Brescia, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano, and Innsbruck. The journey time between Rome and Munich is about eight and a half hours with stops at Florence, Bologna, Verona, Rovereto,
Trento, Bolzano, and Innsbruck.
Partnership and Technical Cooperation
The project is conducted in partnership with Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB. The agreement between Trenitalia and Deutsche Bahn allows sharing technical expertise to adapt trains to different power supplies and signaling systems and help control costs. Training programs for German and Austrian drivers started concurrently with prototype construction.
Infrastructure Advances and Network Integration
The Brenner Base Tunnel opening in December 2028 will reduce journey times by about one hour. From December 2028, full service will include ten connections between Italy and Germany, covering Milan, Rome, Munich, and later Naples and Berlin. The Frecciarossa trains comply with European interoperability technical specifications and
are designed to run in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
Official Statements
Gianpiero Strisciuglio, FS chief executive and general manager, said, “The start of test runs in Germany and Austria is a step towards delivering a project that confirms our ambition to make the train the benchmark mode of transport for mobility across Europe.” He added, “Thanks to our partnership with Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB, we are moving towards creating the High-Speed ‘European Metro’, offering passengers a service able to bring regions, people and economies closer together.” Strisciuglio characterized the effort as continuing FS Group’s international growth
path, bringing technological and industrial excellence abroad and helping develop an integrated European rail network. Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini said the project is “a further step confirming the growth of the FS Group and its ability to win new markets abroad, while providing better services and infrastructure in Italy. More jobs, more connections, more Italy in Europe.”
Broader Expansion and Route Impact
This project follows FS Group’s previous expansion into France and Spain and anticipates extending to the United Kingdom by 2029 via the Channel Tunnel. The service will also affect rail demand to Frankfurt and Krakow, improving cross-border connectivity within Europe.
