Posted on 05/26/2010 7:57:16 AM PDT by Willie Green
Europe’s first privately owned high-speed train operator will launch services in September next year in a “historic event” for Italy’s rail system, the company’s chairman has announced.
Italy’s NTV will launch its services between Rome and Milan before gradually introducing services on all its routes, which stretch from Salerno in southern Italy to Venice and Turin in the north, by the summer of 2012.
NTV will also be the first operator of Alstom’s new AGV train, the French company’s successor to its TGV high-speed train design.
The first of 25 Italos – as NTV calls its version of the train – was completed on May 10 and is undergoing testing at Alstom’s plant at La Rochelle on France’s Atlantic coast.
NTV is chaired by Luca di Montezemolo, chairman of Ferrari, the sports car maker, and Fiat.
Mr Montezemolo, along with two other Italian businessmen, controls 33.5 per cent of NTV. Intesa Sanpaolo, the bank, and SNCF, France’s state-owned train operator, both own 20 per cent, while Generali Insurance holds a further 15 per cent.
(Excerpt) Read more at ft.com ...
Apparently the high-speed rail and tracks are owned and operated by Trenitalia (Italy's government owned train company). But private companies are being allowed to own and operate the trains and rolling stock that travel on those tracks.
This is similar to how many different private airlines "share" our public air corridors.
Or how private trucking or bussing companies "share" our interstate highways and roads.
Or how freighters, tankers, barges and other shipping companies "share" our publicly owned rivers, canals and waterways.
The freight railroads should NOT own the track and right-of-ways. This antiquated monopoly of our vital rail infrastructure is hindering our nation's ability to compete in the 21st Century.
The UK has a similiar system.
High-speed rail in Europe makes sense, private or otherwise. It is highly used since it’s cheaper than driving a car and very reliable.
I love trains. Just not the publicly-funded variety. Politicians will tend to send them places they think need service.
Obama’s solution is to simply make gas $7 per gallon and everyone here will want to live in the Stalinist-style condos on the tracks as well.
This is great for many reasons, not the least of which is the Trenitalia trains need to be put out to pasture.
Is that the main problems nowadays? Our rails are owned by frieght railroad companies who doesn’t want to do anything beyond hauling raw materials?
Is that the main problems nowadays? Our rails are owned by frieght railroad companies who doesn’t want to do anything beyond hauling raw materials?
Yes, that's pretty much it in a nutshell.
Of course, despite strong public interest in passenger rail, there are powerful business lobbyists against having passenger rail competition in the market: the highway lobby, airline lobby, Oil industry, convenience stores, taxi/bus lines and drivers, motels, fast food....
Lots of myopic obstructionists who fear competition and change.
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