Italy’s Frecciarossa high-speed train undergoes tests in Bavaria

A red Frecciarossa 1000 is being tested on Bavarian tracks as Deutsche Bahn prepares a direct rail link from Munich to Italy. The Italian high-speed trains are expected to carry passengers directly to Rome and Milan from summer 2027.

The timetable originally targeted December 2026, but the launch has been delayed. The service could shorten the journey to Rome by 45 minutes and the trip to Milan by 75 minutes. In Germany, the trains are intended to operate at speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour.

The trains needed technical changes before they could run on German tracks. Manufacturers adapted the propulsion systems, brakes and pantographs, according to Deutsche Bahn. During Wednesday’s test, a faulty switch forced the train to stop at Kinding in the Altmühltal rather than Ingolstadt.

Test runs began in mid-June with an adapted train operating between Nuremberg and Ingolstadt, and between Leipzig and Erfurt. Austria also began testing a second adapted train in August, between Kufstein and the Brenner and between Salzburg and Vienna. A total of 300 test days are planned.

The project requires nine Frecciarossa trains to be upgraded and fitted with national train-control systems. They must then receive new approvals for the German and Austrian rail networks and be approved again in Italy. Deutsche Bahn described the timetable as ambitious. Italy’s private rail operator Italo also plans to expand into Germany, while a possible future extension from Munich toward Berlin is being considered.