Frecciarossa test runs begin in Germany and Austria ahead of 2027 launch

Frecciarossa trains have begun test runs in Germany and Austria, marking a new stage in Trenitalia’s plan to launch services linking Italy with Munich in summer 2027.

The tests form part of the international approval process for the trains. They are running on the German network between Berlin, Munich and Kufstein, and in Austria between Kufstein and the Brenner and between Salzburg and Vienna. Trenitalia and Deutsche Bahn are sharing technical expertise so the trains can adapt to different electricity supplies and signalling systems.

The planned service will include four connections on the Milan-Munich and Rome-Munich routes. The journey from Milan is expected to take about six and a half hours, with stops including Brescia, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck. From Rome, the trip is expected to take about eight and a half hours, with stops including Florence, Bologna, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck.

The Frecciarossa meets European technical interoperability standards and is designed to operate in Italy and several other European countries. FS chief executive Gianpiero Strisciuglio said the German and Austrian tests move forward a project aimed at making high-speed rail a central part of European mobility. Training programs have also begun for German and Austrian driving staff. The new routes could attract passengers traveling onward to destinations such as Frankfurt and Krakow.

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The start of the test runs in Germany and Austria is a step toward a project that confirms our ambition to make rail the reference mode for European mobility.