ITALY’s new minister for infrastructure and transport, Mr Danilo Toninelli, announced on Facebook on July 25 that he has signed a decree dismissing the entire board of Italian State Railways (FS) including CEO, Mr Renato Mazzoncini.

FLORENCE extended its light rail network to the north of the city centre on July 16 with the inauguration of the 4.1km section of Line T1 from Alamanni-Stazione, adjacent to Santa Maria Novella main line station, to Careggi University Hospital.

A report from the European Court of Auditors says the €23.7bn of co-funding that the European Union (EU) has provided to support high-speed rail infrastructure investments since 2000 has created only a “patchwork” of national high-speed lines across the European Union, and failed to create a cohesive European high-speed rail network.

HE first Pop regional EMU for Trenitalia was unveiled at Alstom’s Savigliano plant in northern Italy on June 26.

STADLER is entering the signalling business through a joint venture with Mermec, Italy, with the Swiss company saying it is already running field tests and has started the approval process in Switzerland.

ITALY’s Puglia region signed a concession agreement with Trenitalia in Bari on June 13 to operate regional rail services. This is Italy’s first 15-year regional rail concession.

ITALY’s infrastructure manager Italian Rail Network (RFI) awarded a €1.65bn contract to the Cepav Due Consortium on June 7 for the construction of the first section of the Brescia - Verona high-speed line.

 recent study by Prose and Rail Traction Company, Italy, revealed that it is possible for a 2200-tonne freight train to successfully navigate the Brenner Pass on the Italy-Austria border. Robbin Wetter, an engineer in Prose’s Running Dynamics team, details the project.