Trenitalia, the operating brand of Italy’s state-owned rail system, is partnering with a U.S. venture capital firm in a €1 billion plan to greatly expand its operations in neighboring France, where it already operates as an Open Access carrier on a number of routes.
The American firm, Certares, was the lead partner in a 2022 bid by Delta and Air France/KLM to take of ITA Airways, which was eventually sold to Lufthansa.
Trenitalia France will expand its fleet to at least 19 trains and open a maintenance facility near Paris; it was almost forced out of France in 2023 when it was denied access to maintenance facilities operated by France’s rail operator SNCF.
The added capacity will allow Trenitalia to increase service on its existing routes, which include Paris-to-Lyon, from 9 to 14 runs a day. It also operates between Paris and Marseille and Paris, but has so far not reached profitability. Trenitalia is also considering a Paris-to-Brussels route and hopes eventually to compete with Eurostar to London, although that is an uncertain goal for now.
In addition to financing, Certares is also adding services and distribution to the package; it owns a number of travel agencies and booking operations including CWT, Ovation, Egencia (business travel), Havas Voyages, and Selectour (leisure travel).
