SNCF cleared for high-speed services in Italy
ITALY: SNCF has been cleared to prepare domestic high-speed services in Italy after the competition authority required infrastructure manager RFI to guarantee access conditions for a new entrant.
The authority adopted the decision on March 6 after investigating whether access conditions on the national high-speed network restricted competition.
The ruling makes binding a package of commitments offered by infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana.
The measures include reserving at least 18 high-speed train paths for a potential new entrant and guaranteeing access stability over a 10-year period.
Changes to the Network Statement are also required to clarify allocation rules and lower barriers to entry on Italy’s high-speed market.
Competition ruling sets access conditions
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) accepted and made binding a series of commitments proposed by infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI).
The commitments were offered in response to an investigation launched in March 2025 into whether access conditions on the high-speed network could restrict entry by competing operators.
Under the agreement, RFI must ensure that a minimum package of 18 train paths is available for a potential new entrant on the high-speed network.
The allocation will be accompanied by a stability guarantee lasting 10 years, intended to provide predictable operating conditions for the operator.
Changes required to network access rules
The commitments also require modifications to RFI’s Network Statement, the document that sets out technical and commercial rules for access to Italy’s rail infrastructure.
These changes are intended to clarify how train paths are allocated and to give clearer conditions for companies seeking to enter the domestic high-speed market.
Context: open-access competition in Italy
Italy already hosts one of Europe’s few open-access high-speed markets, where Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa services compete with trains operated by Italo.
The competition authority’s intervention follows preparations by SNCF Voyageurs to launch domestic high-speed services in Italy, potentially becoming a third operator on the network.