Italo signs €3.6 bn Siemens deal to launch high‑speed trains in Germany

Italian private rail operator Italo has concluded a contract with Siemens Mobility worth about €3.6 billion for 26 high‑speed trains, with an option for 14 additional units. The Velaro Multi System trains will be built at Siemens' Krefeld plant and maintained for 30 years at a depot in Dortmund.

The entry is scheduled for mid‑2028. Italo will operate two main corridors – Munich‑Cologne‑Dortmund and Munich‑Berlin‑Hamburg – covering 1,300 km, linking 18 German cities with roughly 50 daily services. The investment also funds the hiring and training of about 2,500 staff, as well as upgrades to stations and IT infrastructure.

The move marks a major step in the liberalisation of Europe’s rail market and challenges Deutsche Bahn’s dominant position. German unions and passenger groups have warned that adding a new operator could strain already busy tracks, while regulators have approved capacity allocations for new entrants.