Rome, 22 June 2018
Undersigned today by President of the Lazio Region Nicola Zingaretti and Managing Director and General Manager of Trenitalia Orazio Iacono, was a new fifteen-year service contract (2018-2032), in line with European Regulation 1370/2007, which provides for investments totalling €1,382 billion.
Attending the signing were the Minister of Infrastructures and Transportation, Danilo Toninelli, the Councillor for Public Works and Land Protection of the Lazio Region, Mauro Alessandri, the CEO and General Manager of the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Group, Renato Mazzoncini, and the Chairman of Trenitalia, Tiziano Onesti.
The Trenitalia investment plan, totalling approximately €1.233 billion, together with regional resources of € 149.1 million, including € 76.6 million from the previous contract, will allow the total rejuvenation of the fleet that in 2023 will be 6 years old compared to the current 14 years, with maintenance in modern and efficient facilities. Cyclical maintenance and "revamping" operations are planned (on TAF trains for a total of €110 million) and investments in plants with the development of a new maintenance hub - in which part of the activities currently carried out at the Rome Sorting hub, which will remain active, will be merged - infrastructural adjustment for the introduction of new rolling stock, as well as extraordinary measures to improve the efficiency of the equipment in the plants for a total of €106 million and €10 million in technology and IT. The arrival of new trains will allow progressively improving quality standards in main performance indicators such as punctuality, regularity, and composition, and will guarantee customers the most innovative on-board technologies, such as people counter, live video surveillance, and Wi-Fi. From 2014 to 17 June 2018, there has been an increase of 11.4 percentage points in punctuality on Lazio regional lines, a 33% decrease in breakdowns, and a 63% decrease in cancellations. In May 2018, overall customer satisfaction was 73.5% of travellers satisfied. Furthermore, with the new Contract, the monitoring of services will be improved, as will cleaning on board the trains according to a 4-step intervention plan to guarantee greater comfort and safety for passengers.
€1.382 billion will be invested in the regional rail transport of Lazio, of which:
- 65 new Rock trains, with greater capacity (700 seats for trains with 6 cars and 500 standing spots), 18 bike racks for intermodal travel by bike/train, 50 video surveillance cameras, and 30% reduction in energy consumption. The 65 new Rock trains will be divided into 12 trainsets with 5 cars and 53 with 6 cars that will be used on the underground lines;
- 3 bimodal diesel trains;
- 4 fast regional trains (200 km/h).
The new contract includes further measures to increase the service by 2.9 (understood as trains/kilometres) within the validity period of the plan and the expansion of the Lazio sales network.
As early as 2019, while awaiting the delivery of new trains, a greater supply, of 9,418 seats on weekdays, will be guaranteed at peak times and on some of the busiest lines, for example those from Frosinone, Cassino, Colleferro, and Fiumicino.
As far as rates are concerned, it is worth pointing out that annual regional season ticket prices have been frozen since 1994 and monthly ones, together with the BIT, since 2012. The regional administration has decided to keep fares frozen until 2022despite significant investments for the purchase and renewal of trains, in technologies, and maintenance. Furthermore, a safeguard clause is provided to prolong the freezing of fares.
Greater attention is being provided to younger customers: for young people and students up to 26 years old, discounts on annual passes are provided. In particular, for the urban area of the capital, a reduction of about €10 (considering subscriptions according to the Isee) and for all those who come from other provinces in Lazio, depending on subscription zones, the cost reduction fluctuates between €11 and €66 less than current rates.
The unitary strategy of regional government for mobility policies will make it possible to allocate - for the financing of the service contract with Trenitalia - part of the profits (1.65 million euro) made by the regional road haulage company Cotral Spa, a Lazio public transport reality completely restored and now able to ensure management efficiency and revitalization of the service with the recruitment of new drivers and the replacement of over 400 old buses with new ecological ones. These resources benefit service costs contributing to the freezing of fares.