Italian rail operator Trenitalia has placed a $643m order with Hitachi Rail and Bombardier Transportation to procure 14 Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed trains.

The two companies will provide maintenance services to the trainsets for ten years.

Hitachi Rail will have 60% participation in the project, while Bombardier will have 40%.

Accordingly, Hitachi will have $382m share in the contract, while Bombardier’s share will be valued at $261m.

Hitachi Rail CEO Maurizio Manfellotto said: “We worked closely with Trenitalia to deliver a train, which has dramatically enhanced the performance and customer experience of the Italian high-speed rail network.

“The Frecciarossa 1000 is a perfect example of how suppliers and customers working together towards a common goal can deliver for passengers. This order for 14 new trains and the related maintenance services are proof of the success we have achieved.”

The 14 Frecciarossa 1000 trains will be built in Italy and comply with all TSI requirements. The trains are equipped with the latest aerodynamics and energy-saving technologies to support high-speed operations. They are capable of running at a commercial speed of up to 360km/h.

Each of these 200m trains can accommodate 460 passengers. They will feature a meeting room and bistro area, as well as on-board Wi-Fi services.

Bombardier Transportation Italy head of sales Marco Biffoni said: “With this order for 14 high-speed trains deriving from the V300ZEFIRO platform plus maintenance services, we are delighted that Trenitalia has put its confidence in Bombardier and Hitachi once again, a proven partnership now also bidding for projects in the United Kingdom.

“These high-comfort, high-technology and high-speed trains have already proven to be very popular with Italian passengers and this order highlights our continuing leadership in the exciting high-speed market segment.”

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