ITALO/ITABUS NETWORK OPENS UP ITALIAN REGIONS
The ITALO rail company is expanding its network of public train + bus transportation, and aims to serve the entire Italian peninsula within the next few years, according to Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the dynamic CEO of Italo, Italy's first privately owned train service. The recent incorporation of the ITABUS luxury coach company in May 2023 now guarantees a schedule of 500 direct daily connections between major Italian train stations and 85 key destinations, greatly simplifying travel, not only for locals and commuters, but also for tourist travel to smaller art cities and other localities.
Montezemolo underlined the attention the company had paid, not only to passenger comfort, but also to the environment, with the acquisition of the latest generation of low pollution generating coaches from the historic Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nurnberg AG (MAN), manufacturers, a leading provider of commercial vehicles.
Italo had something of a rocky start, with opposition from the state-owned rail transport monopoly Trenitalia, which did not welcome the debut of a rival. However, the owners (a team of independent Italian businessmen) persisted and the flaming red engines emblazoned with the logo of a white coursing hare have now become a familiar sight in major railway hubs since the first passenger train left Naples station on the 28th April 2012.
At the moment, Italo trains operate a regular daily service of 116 trips. The company plans to expand its network, despite many logistic difficulties, such as the necessary substitution of outdated tracks, unsuitable for high speed trains, which still exist in many areas of southern Italy and Sicily.
The addition of the new ITABUS connections signal a revolution in the concept of inter-Italy travel, facilitating access to many destinations that previously involved complicated travel arrangements and long, roundabout trips. Good news for independent travellers keen to explore many of the lesser known wonders and “sights” of Italy.
M.STENHOUSE
Info: https://itabus.it
