Naples, 5 January 2020
New hybrid trains for regional transport will be built at the Hitachi plants in Pistoia, Naples and Reggio Calabria.
Following a European tender, Trenitalia has already commissioned 43 new trains equipped with diesel engines for non-electrified lines, with pantograph for electrified lines, and with batteries to cover the last mile on non-electrified lines avoiding the use of fuel.
The trains, which can reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h, are currently being designed/constructed.
Thanks to the batteries, capable of increasing autonomy, trains will be able to travel on non-electrified sections of the line when approaching historic city centres or when stopping at the station before departure, considerably reducing polluting emissions and noise, with benefits both for the environment and for running costs in terms of diesel fuel savings.
In terms of onboard services, the trains will offer all the comforts of the new regional transport standard: information, air conditioning, 220V USB and power sockets, snack and beverage dispensers, bike and luggage racks.
Just like the modern Rock and Pop trains, the hybrid trains will be built according to the technical specifications needed to make it easier for people with reduced mobility to get on and off.
The FS Italiane Group, led by Gianfranco Battisti, has thus confirmed its policy of strengthening public transport on iron with increasing attention to environmental sustainability and people's well-being.