Rail traffic
Direct express trains from Munich to Milan and Rome
Without switching to Italy: From the end of 2026, passengers can cross the Alps comfortably and quickly on the train. For this, the Italian high -speed train FRECCIAROSSA will drive in Germany for the first time.
Travelers from Germany to Italy will be able to drive from Munich to Milan and Rome in the future in the high -speed train without changing trains. From December 2026, Italian Frecciarossa trains are expected to run in Germany for the direct connections via Innsbruck, as the Deutsche Bahn (DB) announced on the occasion of the announcement of the cooperation agreement in Munich. Two years later, the offer is to be expanded gradually to Berlin or Naples.
First there will be one connection per day. The Munich-Milan route will take around six and a half hours, the Munich-Rome route will take about eight and a half hours. This would save travelers a good 75 minutes on the way to Milan compared to the current journey time, a railway spokeswoman said. After Rome, the journey will be 45 minutes shorter. Among other things, this is due to the fact that the FRECCIAROSSA trains can play their pace, especially on the express route between Bologna and the Italian capital.
In the end, five return trips between Germany, Austria and Italy are to be offered every day. With the opening of the Brenner Base tunnel planned for the end of 2032, the travel times are expected to shorten again by about an hour.
“In the sensitive Alpine region, every passenger is a profit”
“We see that people are increasingly wanting to be on the rails across borders,” said the DB board for passenger transport, Michael Peterson. “Our joint project will give the booming international long -distance traffic further boost.” His ÖBB colleague Sabine Stock added: “Especially in the sensitive Alpine region, every passenger who chooses the train instead of car or plane is a profit for the environment and climate.”
The new connection of the DB in cooperation with the Italian Trenitalia and the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) is one of ten pilot projects to promote cross -border rail connections that are supported by the European Commission. The vehicles of the 200 meter long “FRECCIAROSSA 1000” are currently being technically adapted for operation in Germany and Austria. This is followed by test and approval trips in all three countries. If manufacturers and authorities allow the train on time, passengers can ride for the first time in December 2026.
dpa
Source: Stern
