A two-year contract for the operation of regional train services in Sicily was signed on June 25 by the island's regional councillor for transport Mr Giovanni Battista Pizzo and Mr Orazio Iacono, Trenitalia's national director for regional transport.

ITALFERR, the engineering subsidiary of Italian State Railways (FS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Algeria's National Railway Investment Agency (Anesrif) on June 26 to create an engineering joint venture, which will support the modernisation and expansion of the country's railway network.

IRANIAN Islamic Republic Railways (RAI) has appointed Italcertifer, Italy, to provide technical assistance for a project to develop a rolling stock testing laboratory, which will support the introduction of new train fleets on the country's expanding railway network.

Buoyed by a strong balance sheet, Italian State Railways (FS) is currently embarking on an ambitious programme of restructuring, infrastructure investments and service improvements. A year since his appointment as CEO, Michele Elia speaks exclusively to Kevin Smith about how the railway is progressing with these plans.

TRENITALIA has revolutionised the passenger rail service between Palermo and Catania, the two largest cities on the island of Sicily, in response to the collapse of a bridge on the parallel A19 highway.

TRENITALIA exercised an option worth €170m with Alstom on April 23 for 25 additional five-car Jazz EMUs, which will be used on regional services in Tuscany and Lazio.

TRENITALIA launched its new flagship high-speed train on April 25, when Italy's president Mr Sergio Mattarella, newly-appointed minister of transport and infrastructure Mr Graziano Delrio and tourism and culture minister Mr Dario Franceschini joined senior managers from Italian State Railways (FS), AnsaldoBreda, and Bombardier for the inaugural Milan - Rome trip on the Frecciarossa 1000.

WORKERS at NTV, Italy's open-access high-speed operator, went on strike for the first time on April 10 as the operator pushes ahead with plans to dismiss 246 staff, or a quarter of the company's workforce, as a cost-cutting measure as it battles with its €670m debt.

TRENITALIA has placed a €98m order with AnsaldoBreda for 70 additional Vivalto double-deck coaches, which will be used on regional services in Liguria, Veneto, and Lazio.

ITALIAN State Railways (FS) engineering subsidiary Italferr has been awarded a contract by Consorzio Metro Linea 2, the PPP contractor building the second metro line in the Peruvian capital Lima, to provide engineering coordination and integration services for the project.