FS Italiane for Southern Italy: Minister Toninelli delivers new InterCity railcars to the Calabrian people

Reggio Calabria, 1 October 2018

Today, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Danilo Toninelli, delivered four new InterCity railcars, now in service between Reggio Calabria, Metaponto, and Taranto, to the citizens of Calabria.

Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane's commitment to Southern Italy starts with Calabria.

This morning the InterCity 562, with its renovated railcars, left Reggio Calabria at 11.55am. On board were Minister Toninelli, accompanied by Gianfranco Battisti Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and Orazio IaconoManaging Director and General Manager of Trenitalia, who together with several travellers (commuters and students) tested the comforts of the new railcars in a trip bound for Melito Porto Salvo.

Trenitalia's (FS Group Italiane) renewal of the InterCity fleet on the Jonica line is part of a new strategy by FS Italiane Group that focuses on people and improving the standards of train travel.

"We have reached an initial and very important goal for the citizens of Calabria. A promise kept. There are great changes taking place and it starts in the South. We are in Calabria, a fundamental area for travel in the southern region, together with Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane. Today we delivered new InterCity railcars that improve travel for commuters and students alike, but also for tourists who want to discover Italian beauty on the Jonica line," underlined Danilo Toninelli Minister of Infrastructure and Transport who added "a Jonica line where Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (Gruppo FS Italiane) is already working with improvement initiatives."

"FS Italiane Group's commitment to improving railway services in Calabria is a concrete sign of the new strategic choices being made by FS Italiane and of the mission the Government has given us. We are focused on people and their needs. We are devoting particular attention to the South, to commuters, and to regional transport, with a total investment of around six billion euro planned and over 600 new trains that will guarantee, within five years, the renewal of 80 percent of the regional fleet" declared Gianfranco Battisti Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane.

The four new InterCity railcars were added to the 58 regional daily connections offered on the Jonica line. A total of 224 Trenitalia trains now travel every day to Calabria. Regional mobility is guaranteed by 188 scheduled trains to which 10 Frecce(Frecciargento, Frecciabianca, FRECCIALink) and 26 InterCity (day, night, bus) were added that connect Calabria to the rest of Italy.

The € 1.3 million investment by Trenitalia for the renewal of the InterCity fleet aims to raise travel standards in terms of territorial coverage, punctuality, safety, and comfort on the Ionian line.

The four InterCity fall within the scope of the Service Contract between Trenitalia, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which envisages 1 billion euro in investments for fleet upgrading.

FS Italiane Group's commitment also affects the Calabrian railway network. In particular, in June 2017, on the Jonica line, Rete Ferroviaria Italiana launched upgrading and max velocity projects on the Ionian line, between Rocca Imperiale and Melito Porto Salvo, with a total investment of about 480 million euro. There are also extraordinary maintenance projects underway, such as the renewal of the rails between Catanzaro Lido, Crotone, and Sibari, while at the end of August, the first phase of works for the electrification of the section between Sibari and Catanzaro Lido were started.