Frecciarossa strengthens lines to Austria and Germany from Italy

Planned routes

The Milan–Munich journey is expected to take about six and a half hours, with stops in Brescia, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano, and Innsbruck.

The Rome–Munich route will run in roughly eight and a half hours, stopping in Florence, Bologna, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano, and Innsbruck.

Both routes will be operated using the Frecciarossa 1000, Trenitalia’s flagship high-speed train capable of reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h (186 mph). The service is designed to offer a more sustainable and competitive alternative to short-haul flights across the Alps.

Technical trials are currently underway to ensure the trains are compatible with the different signaling systems and power standards used in Austria and Germany.

The new services are expected to depart from Milan Centrale and Rome Termini, crossing the Brenner Pass with additional stops planned in Bolzano and Salzburg.

While the initial rollout focuses on the Milan–Rome–Munich corridor, Trenitalia aims to extend the network further south to Naples by 2028, eventually linking the southern Italian city with Berlin.

Boosting cross-border rail travel

The expansion marks a key step in the EuroLink project, which is designed to create seamless rail connections between Italy and central Europe.

It also builds on Trenitalia’s recent expansion into France and Spain, strengthening its position in Europe’s increasingly competitive rail market.

By improving international rail connectivity, the project supports broader European Union efforts to shift travelers from air to rail and reduce the environmental impact of transportation across the continent.

If everything runs as planned, services could begin late 2026 or maximum by early 2027.