Italian Railway Sector Receives Record €124 bn Investment Program

The Italian government announced a historic investment programme for the national rail network, with a contract between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) worth about €124 billion, recently increased by an extra €4.3 billion for modernisation, technology and capacity upgrades. An additional €26 billion from the national recovery plan (PNRR) is earmarked for the sector.

Deputy Minister Tullio Ferrante (FI) described the funding as an unprecedented infrastructure effort. Lawmakers emphasized the need to improve punctuality, which currently sits at 63 %, and warned that poor reliability pushes 70 % of Italians toward private cars. Action was called for to translate the investment into reliable, timely service for commuters and freight users.

The programme highlights the government's view of rail transport as a strategic pillar for Italy’s economic growth and seeks to restore public confidence in train travel through extensive upgrades and new funding streams.