Hitachi and Bombardier to supply very high-speed trains to Trenitalia for Spain’s new ILSA

Hitachi and Bombardier to supply 23 V300ZEFIRO (Frecciarossa 1000) very high-speed trains to Trenitalia for operation in Spain. Credit: Bombardier Transportation

Hitachi Rail SpA and Bombardier Transportation have announced that they have signed a contract with Italy’s primary train operator, Trenitalia, to supply 23 Frecciarossa 1000 very high-speed (VHS) trains for the new Intermodalidad de Levante (ILSA) rail operation, a joint venture established by Trenitalia and Operador Ferroviario de Levante SL. The contract value is €797 million in a partnership involving company participation of approximately 60 per cent and 40 per cent respectively. For Bombardier Transportation, this order relates to an undisclosed customer in Europe previously announced on 6 August 2020.

The Frecciarossa 1000 is the fastest and quietest very high-speed train in Europe. The 23 new trains for ILSA will be designed and built by Hitachi Rail and Bombardier in Italy. Each train will be approximately 200m-long with capacity for around 460 passengers and capable of commercial speeds of up to 360km/h. State-of-the-art aerodynamics and energy saving technologies give the train unmatched operating efficiency. Once onboard, passengers will be able to enjoy Wi-Fi, a bistro area and high levels of comfort in all classes. The trains are operable on high-speed rail networks equipped with multi-voltage technology fulfilling all TSI requirements. Since their introduction in Italy in 2015, the Frecciarossa 1000 very high-speed trains have set enviable standards of performance, operating efficiency and passenger comfort.

ILSA has been selected by Adif (the company who runs Spain’s rail infrastructure) as the first private operator to be granted access to the Spanish rail market. From 2022, ILSA will run high-speed services on the Madrid-Barcelona, Madrid-Valencia/Alicante and Madrid-Seville/Malaga lines.

Andrew Barr, Group CEO, Hitachi Rail, said: “The ETR1000 train, widely known commercially as the Frecciarossa 1000, has transformed passenger transport on high-speed lines in Italy, setting the standard and becoming the fastest and most admired train in Europe. It is a platform that we are very proud of and is proof of our continuous and positive collaboration with Trenitalia to the benefit of passengers and society in terms of comfort, sustainability, style, performance and low noise. We look forward to bringing the same advantages to Spain, and to contribute to the development program of high-speed railway services in this country with these new services.”

Franco Beretta, President and Managing Director of Bombardier Transportation Italy, said: “The Frecciarossa 1000 very high-speed train has been chosen for the new ILSA franchise in Spain to enrich the travel experience for passengers, thanks to its high levels of comfort and reliability. With cutting-edge train control and propulsion technologies deriving from the V300ZEFIRO platform, these fast and quiet trains are already very popular with long-distance travellers in Italy. The liberalisation of Europe’s railways enables ILSA to offer new rail services in Spain to encourage even more passengers to shift their journeys from cars and planes to trains, contributing towards global sustainability goals.”

Christian Andi, Executive Officer, Region EMEA, Hitachi Rail Group, said: “Working together with Bombardier as trusted partners of Trenitalia for this new international project, renews and recognises our valued experience in the high-speed rail sector. For Hitachi, a fully integrated, global provider of rail solutions, this is a further confirmation of our capability to contribute to society through the development of superior, original technology and products that deliver sustainable mobility.”

Marco Biffoni, Head of Sales Italy for Bombardier Transportation, said: “We are delighted that Trenitalia has put its confidence in Bombardier and Hitachi once again with this order for 23 trains based on Bombardier’s V300ZEFIRO platform. This innovative, super-fast train is already extremely popular with passengers in Italy and we’re looking forward to bringing this outstanding high-speed travel experience to millions of rail passengers in Spain.”