Italian rail operator Italo has signed a contract with Siemens Mobility worth 3 billion euros to purchase 26 high-speed trains for a new passenger service in Germany, marking the company's first expansion outside its home market.
The deal includes an option for 14 additional trains and a 30-year maintenance agreement, with total investment reaching 3.6 billion euros. Operations are scheduled to begin in mid-2028, connecting 18 cities across 1,300 kilometres on two main corridors linking Munich with Berlin-Hamburg and Cologne-Dortmund, offering around 50 daily departures. The Velaro Multi System trains, capable of 320 km/h, will be assembled at Siemens' plant in Krefeld.
The expansion follows a ruling by Germany's Federal Network Agency capping the share of high-demand rail capacity any single operator can receive, a move designed to open the market to new entrants such as Italo and FlixTrain.