Italy and Germany will finally get a high-speed train connection

But you will have to wait until 2026 before you book your tickets

Italy and Germany, the two large countries sitting on both sides of the mighty Alps are finally set to get a direct high-speed train link after at the very end of 2023, the national railway operators Trenitalia and Deutsche Bahn (DB) signed an agreement to that effect. The first route, which is in the works, is a service connecting Milan and Munich, passing through Innsbruck (Austria).

The first Frecciarossa journeys between Italy and Germany are scheduled for the end of 2026, and the project has been considered exciting enough to be selected by the European Commission as one of its supported initiatives for cross-border services on the continent.

Expanding the mobility options between Germany and Italy

These days, it is possible to travel between both countries by train, but it is not as convenient since one has to deal with numerous connections. The only direct route is by air, which also makes it a more polluting way to travel.

Apart from the Milan-Munich route, which will be the first to be offered, there is already a plan also to develop a Rome-Munich connection.

It should be noted that the Frecciarossa trains will operate on the Verona-Innsbruck-Munich route at conventional speed. However, the future route will be greatly improved with sections of line rebuilt to increase speeds and, of course, thanks to the Brenner Base Tunnel itself, currently under construction on both the Italian and Austrian sides.

The signed agreement underscores the expansion ambitions of Trenitalia as the Italian railway company has proven really ambitious and assertive in getting out of the Appenine Peninsula and conquering the European market. Trenitalia already offers high-speed connections within Spain (with its Iryo subsidiary) and in France, by connecting Milan to Lyon and Paris.