FS Italiane Group has ordered 19 new high-speed trains from Hitachi Rail as it prepares to launch a Paris–London service through the Channel Tunnel in 2029.
The trains will be operated by Trenitalia France, part of FS International, and will also support the expansion of the company’s existing high-speed services between Paris and Lyon, Milan and Marseille.
The agreement forms part of an investment of approximately 2 billion EUR covering the construction of the trains, along with long-term maintenance and technical support.
The order will provide the core fleet for Trenitalia France’s planned Paris–London operation, introducing a further operator to the Channel Tunnel rail corridor alongside existing services.
FS Group is also progressing with the development of a new maintenance facility at Maisons-Alfort Pompadour, south-east of Paris.
The facility is intended to provide additional maintenance capacity for the expanded fleet and support the introduction of new international services.
The train order and associated investments in manufacturing, maintenance and infrastructure are expected to contribute to the creation of around 2,000 jobs across France, Italy and the UK, both directly and through the wider supply chain.
The new trains are designed to operate across Europe’s main high-speed networks, with cross-border interoperability forming part of their specification.
New Trains for European High-Speed Services
The trains will feature redesigned interiors across all classes, alongside upgraded onboard services. These will include Wi-Fi connectivity of up to 10 Gbps, a new bistro concept and an enhanced catering offer.
FS Group said the trains will have a recyclability rate of up to 97.1%. It also expects each trainset to deliver a reduction of approximately 120,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions compared with the previous generation.
The order is part of FS Group’s wider international expansion strategy and its partnership with investment firm Certares. The companies are developing an international high-speed rail platform under FS Group’s wider ‘Metro of Europe’ concept.
Giuseppe Marino, Group Chief Executive Officer of Hitachi Rail, said:With this project, we are strengthening Hitachi Rail’s role as a technology partner for the new generation of high-speed rail services in Europe. The trainsets will be designed to deliver high standards of sustainability, operational efficiency and cross-border interoperability, which are increasingly essential to support the growth of international rail traffic. The expansion of Trenitalia France’s services represents a further step towards a more integrated and sustainable European mobility system.
The Paris–London service is scheduled to begin in 2029, subject to the necessary operational and regulatory requirements for international Channel Tunnel services.
