High speed railway arrives in Italy

Frecciarossa train arriving into station

Last December 14 saw the inauguration of the new high speed railway connecting Milan and Rome, crossing most of the country on a north-south direction.

This is one of the biggest public infrastructure works carried out in Italy in the last decades. The project is foreseen to be fully completed within the end of the current year.

The line uses a very specific train coach called “Frecciarossa” (red arrow) designed and built in Italy. The fastest, non-stop connection betwen the two main Italian cities completes the trip in  3 hours and 30 minutes reaching a maximum speed of 350 Km/h.

At present, the segment between Bologna and Florence works at the usual speed even if the difficult gallery passing through the Apennines is close to being operative.

Despite the reduced speed through the tunnel, the savings in time still make the trip absolutely valid.

Considering the lower ticket cost, departure and arrival in the very center of the towns and no seasonal problems such as fog or ice, the comparison with a similar trip by air should make high speed trains a better solution.

Last but not least, the train coaches offer the utmost safety levels and the best in Italian style for comfort and brightness.

You can also choose high speed trains to reach the very attractive towns of Bologna and Florence, testing the efficiency of this new railway travel option.

Until January 31, Trenitalia is offering a special inaugurational discount of 10% on the high speed trains trains while business travelers planning a round-trip in the same day can take advantage of a 35% discount. Check out timetables and costs online at www.ferroviedellostato.it

About Lourdes Flores

An American living in Florence for over 10 years, Lourdes continues to explore and discover new places in Tuscany with the eyes of a tourist but with the experience of living in Italy. She shares her experiences on this blog and website, particularly offering lots of travel planning help on the Forum!