One of EU's Cross-Border Railway Pilot Projects Expected to Open in 2026

Deutsche Bahn (DB), Trenitalia (Italian Railways) and Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB, Austrian Federal Railways) have reached a new cooperation agreement to launch two new direct railway lines: Munich-Milan and Munich-Rome. As part of the European Commission-supported pilot projects for enhancing cross-border railway connections, the project is expected to open by the end of 2026, with nine other projects also selected to expand international rail transport.

Each new line under the project will be operated by Frecciarossa 1000 trains. This train model has been in service on Trenitalia's lines since 2015, with a length of 200 meters. Each train consists of 8 carriages and can carry up to 462 passengers. The new trains currently under development are being specially modified by Hitachi and Alstom for the German and Austrian markets, and their operation scope will be expanded beyond the existing lines in Italy, France and Spain.

Due to complex framework conditions, the successful operation of cross-border long-distance transport in Europe can only be achieved through multi-party cooperation. New lines from Milan to Berlin and Naples to Berlin are planned to open in December 2028, with the travel time for the former expected to be approximately 6.5 hours and the latter around 8.5 hours. When the Brenner Base Tunnel opens at the end of 2032, the travel time for these two lines will be further reduced. The currently planned stops for the Munich-Milan line include Bolzano, Trento, Rovereto, Verona and Brescia; the Munich-Rome line is scheduled to stop at Innsbruck, Bolzano, Trento, Rovereto, Verona, Bologna and Florence.

Michael Peterson, Member of the Management Board of DB Long-Distance, stated that Europe's railway network is becoming increasingly interconnected. There is a growing preference for eco-friendly cross-border rail travel, and their cooperative project will inject new impetus into the booming international long-distance transport sector. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, also noted that developing high-speed rail networks, especially cross-border railways, is a top priority. The new lines connecting Germany, Austria and Italy are an important achievement in this process.