FS Group / Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane / Trenitalia is moving forward with strategic investments to support its expanding international high-speed rail ambitions, including plans to build a maintenance centre near Paris to simplify operations and support future services beyond France. BMFTV announced this in the margin of financial news.
The Italian operator says the facility — expected to open in four to five years — will cost several million euros but is considered a key strategic asset in its vision for a connected European rail network.
The proposed maintenance hub’s location in the greater Paris area would allow Trenitalia to service its trains for operations across France and for services that extend through the Channel Tunnel, including potential future services to London.
After being denied access to the Temple Mills maintenance depot in east London — a facility granted instead to rival operator Virgin Trains by the United Kingdom regulator — Trenitalia sees the Paris site as a crucial alternative that would enable it to send trains to the British capital without relying on UK depot access.
Temple Mills not necessary
Independent railway commentator Jon Worth has argued that running cross-Channel services without access to Temple Mills might still be viable and not necessarily a setback for operators like Trenitalia.
He suggests that building a separate maintenance facility outside the UK, such as near Paris, could offer operational advantages and avoid some of the complexities of sharing space with incumbent operators.
Worth notes that while Temple Mills is the established site for international train maintenance, alternatives such as an independently owned depot in France could reduce dependence on rival operators and streamline maintenance for trains serving routes through the Channel Tunnel.
Worth’s analysis points out that, given the crowded nature and regulatory challenges around Temple Mills access, pursuing a bespoke facility elsewhere might even be seen as beneficial in the long run, aligning with broader efforts to build more resilient and diversified infrastructure for cross-border rail services.
Trenitalia’s broader strategy in France has involved strengthening its core routes, expanding services, and differentiating its offerings — including targeting business travellers with premium services — even as it accepts it will operate at a loss in the short term due to high infrastructure costs such as track access charges. The addition of a Paris-area maintenance hub reflects the company’s commitment to establishing a sustainable footprint in the international rail market and laying the groundwork for future expansion, including possible London-bound services.
Channel Tunnel updates
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