Presented in Palermo is the Blues, the first hybrid train from Trenitalia (FS Italian Group) with a dual power supply, with electric and diesel.
Coming to Piazza Castelnuovo after stops in Florence and Reggio Calabria is a roadshow being held in the main Italian piazzas, planned to introduce citizens and institutions to the newest train in Trenitalia’s regional fleet, designed and built by Hitachi Rail and set to join the Rock and Pop trains already being delivered throughout Italy since May 2019.
Thus, Trenitalia’s Regional train revolution continues, with the fleet set to be renewed within the next four years.
The Trenitalia Village, which features a 1:1 scale model of the Blues train, was inaugurated today by Trenitalia’s Regional Business Director, Sabrina De Filippis, along with the Sicily Region’s Councillor for Infrastructure and Mobility, Marco Falcone, and the Councillor for Urban Planning, Environment, Mobility and Functional Relations with AMAT, Giusto Catania.
In attendance were Vincenzo Pullara, Regional Director of Trenitalia Sicily, and Fulvio Bellomo, General Manager of the Infrastructure, Mobility and Transport Division of the Sicily Region.
The first deliveries of the Blues regional train in Sicily are expected as early as next summer. 22 new hybrid trains for Sicily will complete the renewal and modernisation of the regional fleet by 2023, as foreseen in the Service Contract, revolutionising the travel experience and offering an innovative support to the relaunch of Sicily’s tourism system. A total of 110 Blues trains are planned in the following regions: Valle d’Aosta, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Tuscany, Lazio, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia.
The Blues train runs with a diesel engine on non-electrified lines and with pantographs on electrified lines. This new-generation hybrid technology results in better performance, lower fuel consumption and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions compared to current diesel convoys.
Trenitalia’s first hybrid train has been designed and built around the needs of passengers yet with a sustainable footprint. There is the choice of highly-recyclable (95%) materials, the large glass surfaces with longer windows and even the availability of up to eight stations for bicycles, which travel free of charge in Sicily. The train is also equipped with an air-conditioning system that optimises consumption according to the actual number of passengers aboard.
Locals, families or anyone who is curious can enter the Trenitalia Village today from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, to test out and learn about the new train. The FS Italiane Group has extended an invitation to all railway personnel to visit the Village together with their families.
The Blues road show will continue in Sicily with the fourth leg scheduled to take place in Catania from 29 April, before heading off to Cagliari, Trieste and Rome.