Rome, 8 September 2021
A train connecting Europe, people, countries and businesses with the sustainable, safe and economical means of transport par excellence.
Connecting Europe Express – the European train that departed from Lisbon on 2 September in honour of the European Year of Rail 2021 – has reached Rome before concluding its journey in Paris on 7 October, after having crossed some 26 countries and over 100 cities.
Enrico Giovannini – Minister of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility, Fabio Massimo Castaldo – Vice President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox – EU-Coordinator Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor, European Commission, Antonio Tajani, Head of Conference of Committee Chairs of European Parliament, Nicola Zingaretti – President of the Lazio Region, and Luigi Ferraris – Chief Executive Officer of the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane welcomed the train at the Roma Ostiense stations.
The Connecting Europe Express will cover over 20,000 kilometres in five weeks, travelling through 33 border crossings. This journey shows the importance of a single rail market without barriers, one that is sustainable and able to reduce distances. The initiative aims to symbolically unite all countries touched by the Connecting Europe Express in order to raise awareness of EU infrastructure and mobility policies, through gatherings and events aboard the train and in the stations.
The numerous Italian stops start from Torino Porta Nuova, from where the train departed on Monday, 6 September, to Milano Centrale, Genova Piazza Principe to Roma Ostiense. The train will then head up towards the Alps, stopping in Vaiano, near Prato, Nogara, in the Verona area, Verona Porta Nuova and Bolzano. On Thursday, 9 September will be a stop at Brenner, the northernmost station in Italy.
The initiative stemmed from a collaboration between the European Commission, the Community of European Railway (CER), European railway operators, infrastructure managers and numerous other partners at a local and EU level. Connecting Europe Express avails of three different trains. The carriages forming the train arrived in Roma Ostiense pulled by Trenitalia (Gruppo FS Italiane), were supplied by six European railway companies: Trenitalia, MAV (Hungary), SNCF (France), DB (Germany), SBB (Switzerland) e ÖBB (Austria).