Italian private high-speed rail operator Italo is planning further international expansion after Germany, with Belgium and the Netherlands emerging as potential next markets from 2030–31.
Italo CEO Gianbattista La Rocca outlined the company’s international ambitions in an interview with Italian business daily Il Sole 24 Ore. The company plans to launch its first services outside Italy in Germany from 1 June 2028, initially operating on two major long-distance corridors: Munich–Cologne–Frankfurt and Munich–Berlin–Hamburg.
The German expansion is backed by a €3.6 billion investment. In July, Italo signed an agreement with Siemens for 26 new high-speed trains, together with a 30-year full-service maintenance contract. The first four trains are due to enter service in Germany on 1 June 2028.
“Our €3.6 billion investment in the German market has started 100% and without the possibility of turning back,” La Rocca told Il Sole 24 Ore. “In July we signed with Siemens a contract to purchase 26 high-speed trains and a 30-year service contract, which provides for complete maintenance of the trains.”
The trains are Siemens Velaro sets, based on the same platform as the ICE 3neo used by Deutsche Bahn on international services to Belgium and the Netherlands. Crucially for Italo’s expansion plans, the trains being built for Germany will also be approved for operation in other European countries.
“Now we are focused on Germany. From there, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France can be reached if you look west; Poland and the countries of the east if you look east,” La Rocca said. “Our agreement with Siemens will allow us to be competitive not only at the German national level, but also internationally. When they are delivered, the trains will not only be approved for Germany, but will already be approved for Belgium and the Netherlands. Not before 2030–2031.”
This means Germany is intended to be a launchpad rather than the final destination for Italo’s international ambitions.
Germany first
Italo is establishing a separate German operating company under a newly reorganised corporate structure. The group has created Italo Holding, with Italo Italia overseeing its Italian activities, including Itabus, while Italo International is responsible for the company’s international expansion and the German operation.
“The German project for us is a project where Italy, and therefore the Italians, will bring the know-how and experience,” La Rocca said. “For the rest, it will be an entirely German company, made up of German personnel.”
The company is targeting Germany first because of the size of its long-distance rail market. According to La Rocca, demand for long-distance travel in Germany is already twice that of Italy, while greater competition could increase the market by a further 40–50%.
Italo entered the Italian high-speed market in 2012 as Europe’s first private open-access high-speed rail operator. It now operates more than 50 routes in Italy. Germany will be its first international market.
Potential routes to Belgium and the Netherlands
The company has not yet announced specific routes or a launch plan for Belgium or the Netherlands. La Rocca’s comments indicate that any expansion would come only after Italo has established its German operation, with 2030–31 the earliest timeframe mentioned.
The technical capability of the Siemens trains could make such an expansion considerably easier. Unlike a fleet designed exclusively for the German market, Italo’s new trains will be certified for operation in Belgium and the Netherlands from the outset, allowing the company to consider cross-border services without requiring a new train fleet.
Italo’s German network itself will initially centre on Munich–Cologne–Frankfurt and Munich–Berlin–Hamburg. The latter also fits into a wider strategy involving shipping and cruising giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which is a shareholder in Italo. Hamburg‘s role as a major cruise port could eventually allow the company to develop combined rail-and-sea travel.
“MSC’s presence also allows us to think about multimodal synergies, ranging from ferries, such as with Snav and GNV in Italy, to cruises,” La Rocca said. The ambition, he added, is for “multimodality for passengers to become normal and customary.”
Italo is also equipping its new German trains with Starlink connectivity, building on the satellite internet trials already taking place on its Italian fleet. La Rocca sees rail travel as a sector with significant growth potential across Europe.
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