Test runs have started on new high-speed train routes that will connect Italy, Germany and Austria, according to the Independent.
Italy's state railway group Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) has begun trials on the Berlin-Munich and Salzburg-Vienna routes in partnership with Germany's Deutsche Bahn and Austria's ÖBB.
The connection between Germany and Austria will be served by Trenitalia's Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed trains, which are designed to run across rail networks throughout the continent.
Commercial Launch and Routes
Commercial services are planned to launch by summer 2027. Four routes will initially run on the existing Milan-Munich and Rome-Munich lines.
The journey between Milan and Munich will take about six and a half hours, with stops in Brescia, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck.
The Rome-Munich route is expected to take roughly eight and a half hours, stopping in Florence, Bologna, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck.
Expansion Plans for 2028
From December 2028, ten additional connections are planned, linking routes through Milan, Rome and Munich with Naples and Berlin. The new service is also intended to meet demand for other European destinations, including Frankfurt and Krakow.
FS Group chief executive Gianpiero Strisciuglio said the company was moving toward creating a European high-speed metro that would give passengers a service capable of connecting regions, people and economies.
Other European Rail Developments
In August, it was reported that British billionaire Richard Branson's company Virgin Trains had secured track access for new routes between London and Paris, and Brussels and Amsterdam, starting in 2030. This would allow it to compete within a few years against Eurostar, which currently holds a monopoly on rail travel between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.
It was also previously reported that a new direct rail connection from Prague to Copenhagen via Berlin and Hamburg had restored a convenient way to travel between some of Europe's most popular cities without flying.
