Rail industry in Italy – statistics & facts
With over 16,800 kilometers of railway lines in use as of 2021 and an annual number of rail passengers of over 800 million before the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy’s rail network plays a substantial role the domestic transport system. Large parts of the Italian rail network are electrified and the country operates an extensive high-speed railway network of over 921 kilometers as of 2021. This makes Italy home to the fourth-largest high-speed rail network in Europe after Spain, France, and Germany. The country can also claim a spot on the list of the top ten fastest trains worldwide. Italy’s Frecciarossa 1000, operated by Trenitalia, just about makes it onto the list in tenth place and can reach speeds of up to 400 kilometers per hour. In recent years, high-speed rail has made up between a fifth and a quarter of passenger rail traffic in Italy.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual volume of rail passengers was steadily increasing in Italy. For example, Trenitalia recorded its best-ever operating revenue in the 2019 financial year. However, Italy’s rail services and passenger rail activity were heavily reduced by the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020. While passenger numbers began to recover in 2021 they remained at only around 55 percent of pre-pandemic figures.
Passenger rail struggles to recover from the pandemic
Italy’s passenger rail landscape is dominated by two passenger rail operators: Trenitalia and Italo. Italo entered the Italian passenger rail market in 2012 as privately-owned competitor to the state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato Group, which operates Trenitalia, alongside other rail companies in Italy and other European countries.Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual volume of rail passengers was steadily increasing in Italy. For example, Trenitalia recorded its best-ever operating revenue in the 2019 financial year. However, Italy’s rail services and passenger rail activity were heavily reduced by the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020. While passenger numbers began to recover in 2021 they remained at only around 55 percent of pre-pandemic figures.
