Green light for SNCF on Italy’s high-speed rail market

The Italian subsidiary of French rail operator SNCF has welcomed the decision by Italy’s competition authority to accept commitments made by the rail infrastructure manager to ensure fair access to the high-speed rail market. The Italian Competition and Market Authority (AGCM) has approved the commitments made by the railway infrastructure manager RFI to guarantee new operators fair access to the market. SNCF Voyages Italia, a subsidiary of SNCF Voyageurs, considers this decision an important step towards launching its own high-speed services in Italy. The implementation of the first part of these commitments involves the immediate recognition of some of the rail routes requested by the French operator. This would allow the company to start implementing its announced investment plan for the Italian market and prepare to launch a new high-speed train offering from September 2027. The SNCF project envisages the introduction of 15 new-generation high-speed trains on the Italian market, capable of carrying over 10 million passengers per year. According to a study by Bocconi University’s GREEN research center, the project could generate estimated economic benefits of over €480 million per year through economic growth, additional tax revenues, and over 4,000 direct and indirect jobs. Access to routes and maintenance facilities remains essential However, the company stresses that the competition authority’s decision is only a first step. To fully implement its industrial plan, SNCF needs access to a larger number of railway routes. The company’s plan is to operate 13 pairs of trains daily, and without this minimum level of activity, the investment could not be justified. In addition, the French operator also needs access to maintenance facilities in Italy and the completion of train approval procedures, which are considered essential for the launch of the new services. SNCF’s plan to enter the Italian domestic market SNCF’s strategy to enter the Italian domestic high-speed