Italo signs a 3-billion contract with Siemens for the purchase of 26 trains for the German market
The plan to compete with Deutsche Bahn (DB) on domestic routes is now in full swing. The first services are due to start in mid-2028, connecting 18 cities via a 1,300-kilometre network with 50 daily services
Italo’s plan to enter the German high-speed rail market is now in full swing. The private company, which in 2012 began competing with the Frecciarossa service, thereby breaking the FS Group’s monopoly in Italia, is ready for a new challenge. This time, the monopoly holder is the German railways, specifically Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) ICE (high-speed train) service. Italo Holding and the German manufacturer Siemens Mobility have signed a contract in Munich for the purchase of 26 high-speed trains, with an option for a further 14, and 30 years of maintenance, to be used in Germany. According to a statement from Italo, the agreement represents a decisive step towards introducing competition into one of Europe’s largest rail markets.
The Siemens Velaro Multi System trains, with a top speed of 320 km/h, will consist of 8 carriages, 450 seats, 3 travel classes (Club Executive, Prima Business and Smart), a bistro, and ultra-fast 5G and Starlink satellite connectivity.
The total investment of €3.6 billion includes the purchase of the trains, which are assembled at the Siemens plant in Krefeld, the recruitment and training of around 2,500 employees (including related industries), as well as investments in stations and IT infrastructure. The investment also includes a 30-year maintenance contract, which provides for comprehensive maintenance at the Siemens Mobility depot in Dortmund. To further maximise the fleet’s availability throughout the trains’ entire lifecycle, the contract includes Siemens’ Railigent X and digital services based on artificial intelligence.
From mid-2028, the German company, a subsidiary of Italo, will operate along two main routes: Munich–Cologne–Dortmund and Munich–Berlin–Hamburg, serving 18 cities across a 1,300-kilometre network with a total of 50 daily services.
The signing of the contract with Siemens follows a series of authorisations granted by the German authorities to Italo to operate on the national rail network. Without these authorisations, it would not have been possible to proceed with the order.
