Italo, the Italian competitor to ICE, has rejected the proposal to push back its planned German launch in 2028 by three years. This decision was confirmed by CEO Gianbattista La Rocca to the “Handelsblatt”.
The dispute centers on securing access to the German rail network. Instead of relying on annual extensions, Italo is seeking a guarantee covering a period of ten to 15 years. DB chief Evelyn Palla, however, referred matters to Brussels, noting that track allocation will be newly regulated there in 2031. She expressed personal uncertainty regarding the wisdom of introducing a different operational model shortly before that ruling.
La Rocca refuted the idea of an additional waiting period, emphasizing the considerable groundwork already completed by the company. He stated that Italo began the travel planning process over thirteen months ago and has already invested more than 25 million euros. Furthermore, pre-contracts with Siemens have been signed, and production was already delayed by ten months.
The company now faces a serious dilemma if the Federal Network Agency does not grant a longer track usage guarantee by the end of June, as this would close the production window at the Siemens factory. According to La Rocca, postponing the launch would necessitate major changes across the board-affecting timing, costs, and strategy-making the date of the first passenger journey an extremely critical factor.
