New Direct Connections Planned for Munich, Milan and Rome
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has entered a new cooperation agreement with both the Italian Trenitalia and Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) to implement new direct connections between Munich and Milan, as well as between Munich and Rome.
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has entered a new cooperation agreement with both the Italian Trenitalia and Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) to implement new direct connections between Munich and Milan, as well as between Munich and Rome.
The new connections, which will begin from the end of 2026, form part of a new pilot project supported by the European Commission to strengthen cross-border rail connections, with nine other projects having been selected to broaden international rail transport.
Each new service will be operated by a Frecciarossa 1000 train, a number of which have been operating on Trenitalia lines since 2015 and measure in at 200 metres in length.
Each train has eight carriages and is equipped to carry up to 462 seated passengers, with new units currently in development being specifically adapted by manufacturers Hitachi and Alstom for operation throughout Germany and Austria, in addition to their existing Italian, French and Spanish services.
Michael Peterson, DB Board Member for Long-Distance Passenger Transport, said:
Europe is growing ever closer together on the railways. We see that people increasingly want to travel across borders in an environmentally friendly way by rail. Our joint project will give a further boost to the booming international long-distance transport sector.
Because of the complex framework conditions, successful, cross-border long-distance transport in Europe can only be achieved through cooperation.
Further connections from both Milan to Berlin and Naples to Berlin are planned to begin in December 2028, with journey times currently estimated at roughly six and a half hours for the former and eight and a half hours for the latter, with journey times also set to be reduced with the opening of the Brenner Base Tunnel at the end of 2032.
Stops on the Munich – Milan line are currently planned to include Bolzano, Trento, Rovereto, Verona and Brescia, with stops on the Munich – Rome line including Innsbruck, Bolzano, Trento, Rovereto, Verona, Bologna and Florence.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, said:
The expansion of high-speed rail, especially cross-border rail, is our top priority. This new connection between Germany, Austria, and Italy is a strong example of progress on this path.
And I am particularly proud that it is one of ten pilot projects launched by the European Commission to support the realization of new cross-border rail connections.
