Trenitalia, the Italian operator is the first to really compete with SNCF on high-speed lines in France. After its Paris-Milan link, Trenitalia has announced that it wants to connect Paris to Brussels, Berlin and Amsterdam. Let’s not forget Renfe (Spanish operator) which has set up trains to Spain at knockdown prices.
Trenitalia will have been the first competitor
It was in December 2021 that Trenitalia opened the Paris-Milan line, which passes through Turin, Modane, Chambéry and Lyon, thus becoming the first foreign operator to compete with SNCF in France. According to the “Financial Times”, fast connections between Paris and cities like Berlin, Brussels or Amsterdam are in the projects.
For the moment, only the national railways are risking themselves in France
The British newspaper indicates that “Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (the public company which owns Trenitalia 100%) wants a high-speed rail service that links Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris and possibly Berlin to take advantage of EU rules obliging countries to allow competition on their high-speed networks. The leader of the Italian railways, Palasciano Villamagna, told the Financial Times: “The Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam route is currently only offered by one company because they have merged (Eurostar and Thalys, editor’s note). The SNCF had announced a project with Deutsche Bahn in Paris and Berlin. We are still awaiting a decision.
