The transformation of the FS Italiane Group into one multidomestic company of European scope makes a further advance. Fs aims to be a company for which Europe is becoming a domestic market thanks to the growing liberalization and the push towards sustainable and shared transport. On Friday 1 July, the CEO of the FS Group, Luigi Ferraris and the Minister of Economy Daniele Franco (the shareholder of FS) were in Athens to present to the Greek government the company’s development plan in Greece. Fs has already been present in Greece for a few years after acquiring 100% of Trainose, a former Hellenic state railway company, in 2016.
On 1 July Trainose officially changed its name to Hellenic Train, a railway transport company for passengers and goods, which is entirely part of the FS passenger hub, created as a result of the 2022-2031 industrial plan and of which Trenitalia is the leader. The passenger hub unites all the companies of the FS Group that deal with passenger transport by rail and road.
Nasce Hellenic Train
Says Ferraris: «The birth of Hellenic Train is not only in the new name of the company, but it is the beginning of a new time of railway mobility in Greece. In agreement with the Italian and Greek authorities, in fact, the investments and the contribution of the FS Group and Trenitalia in Greece guarantee and will guarantee concrete support for the construction of a new intermodal, digital and green transport model. In this way, we will see an important growth in passengers who choose the train for their urban and suburban journeys in Athens and between the capital and Thessaloniki, the two most important cities in Greece “. The Etr 470s have been circulating between Athens and Thessaloniki since 15 May, electric trains used by FS also in Italy and Switzerland (the fleet of the famous Ciasalpino was made up of these convoys). A fast and elegant train, which favorably impressed the Hellenic public opinion. Ferraris continues: «It is only the first step towards the development of connections in Greece and its main objective is the modal shift from the plane and bus – now used between Athens and Thessaloniki – towards the train. These trains offer a different service with more comfort and, following interventions on the infrastructure, will be able to reduce travel times. We have the task of making our knowledge and experience gained in Italy available to create in Europe, and also here in Greece, other positive and successful models ».
As in Italy, also in Greece the FS Group plans investments in stations, interconnections with the latest generation bus services to connect stations with Greek airports and ports, innovative solutions such as contactless ticketing, maximum attention for the entire cycle of the journey, from the first mile to the final destination. In Greece, already in 2021, 45.2 million euros were invested by the FS Group and by 2027 Hellenic Train plans to further invest in the purchase of 10 new hydrogen trains and 10 electric trains. Technology, once again, will be an enabler of this new era of Greek railways. By this year, the ETRs will be equipped with new digital technologies with predictive diagnostic systems to prevent failures. Minister Franco observes: “The commitment of the FS Group represents an important step for relations between the two countries, paving the way for new and valid collaborations”.
Development abroad
In the 2022-2031 industrial plan, which FS presented in May, growth abroad plays a central role. The development of an international strategy for all the companies of the group foresees an increase in revenues from 1.8 billion euros (in 2019) to around 5 billion euros in 2031. Trenitalia and Busitalia are present in various European countries. For example in France, where the offer of high-speed services between Milan and Paris was launched from December 2021, passing through Turin and Lyon and also enhanced with connections between Paris and Lyon. In Great Britain, with Trenitalia c2c (London-Glasgow), to which will be added services on the new high-speed line between London, Birmingham and Manchester. In Germany and the Czech Republic with Netinera. The next step will be Trenitalia’s entry into high speed in Spain, scheduled for the end of the year. The Frecciarossa, the symbolic train of FS in ultra-fast services, will circulate on the Iberian network.