Italo to launch €3.6bn high‑speed rail service in Germany, challenging Deutsche Bahn

Italian high‑speed operator Italo‑Ntv announced a €3.6 billion plan to enter the German long‑distance rail market. The project will involve purchasing 26 Siemens Velaro trains for about €1.2 billion and allocating €2.4 billion to thirty‑year maintenance and operational development. Service is slated to begin in April 2028, covering two corridors – Munich‑Cologne‑Dortmund and Munich‑Berlin‑Hamburg – with around 50 daily trains on roughly 1,300 km linking 18 cities.

Consumer Choice Center welcomed the move, citing Italy’s experience where Italo’s entry in 2012 doubled high‑speed capacity, cut fares by about 40 % and boosted passenger numbers. The organisation warned that fair access to DB’s infrastructure, particularly through DB InfraGO, will be essential for genuine competition. The venture is expected to create about 2,500 direct and indirect jobs and could pressure Deutsche Bahn to improve service quality and pricing.