Milan–Paris Frecciarossa
Railway service between Milan and Paris
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Milan–Paris Frecciarossa (Italian: Frecciarossa Milano–Parigi, French: Frecciarossa Milan–Paris) is a high-speed passenger railway service running between Milano Centrale and Paris Gare de Lyon, marketed under Trenitalia's Frecciarossa brand.
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- Italy
- France
FR9292 at Chambéry-Challes-les-Eaux station, April 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Service type | International high-speed rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Operating | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale |
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| First service | 18 December 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current operator | Trenitalia France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | trenitalia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Route | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | Paris Gare de Lyon Milano Centrale | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stops | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Average journey time | 6 hours 50 minutes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service frequency |
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| Lines used |
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| On-board services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classes | Standard, Business, and Executive | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Catering facilities | On-board bar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | Frecciarossa 1000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Inaugurated on 18 December 2021,[1][2] the service is operated by Trenitalia France,[3][4] formerly known as Thello,[4] using Frecciarossa 1000 trains.[5][6] Intermediate stops are Torino Porta Susa,[2][7] Bardonecchia,[8] Modane, Chambéry-Challes-les-Eaux, and Lyon-Part-Dieu.[2][7] An additional five trains per day run between Lyon-Perrache and Paris Gare de Lyon, stopping at Lyon-Part-Dieu.[9]
With the introduction of the Paris–Milan Frecciarossa, Trenitalia became the first company to enter France's railway market after SNCF.[7][10] The full service between Milan and Paris was suspended on 27 August 2023 following a landslide near Modane, and restarted in April 2025.[11] The service between Paris and Lyon remained operational during the suspension between Italy and France.[9]
History
Background
Until the COVID-19 pandemic suspended services on 10 March 2020, Thello, Trenitalia France's predecessor, ran an overnight service between Paris and Venice. Thello also operated a daytime service between Milan and Marseille through Genoa, which was officially scrapped alongside the Paris–Venice service on 1 July 2021.[12] Before the Milan–Paris Frecciarossa, SNCF, France's state-owned railway company, ran services between Paris and Milan,[5][13] having first served Milan in 2011.[14]
In September 2019, Trenitalia announced plans for a Frecciarossa service between Paris and Milan, with an expected inauguration in December 2020.[15][16] Tests to approve the Italian trains to run on the French network were conducted at a railway circuit in Tronville-en-Barrois.[16][17] On 28 June 2021,[12] an initial fleet of five Frecciarossa 1000 trains was authorised to run on the French railway network.[5][18]
Launch
The Milan–Paris Frecciarossa was inaugurated on 18 December 2021,[1][2] with a morning and afternoon train in each direction.[19] An inaugural ceremony at Milano Centrale greeted the first train arriving from Paris Gare de Lyon, featuring actors with Napoleonic uniforms and can-can dancers.[20] Tickets were sold from 13 December 2021,[19][21] with fares starting from €29 on weekdays,[19][22] and an average standard class fare of €51.[23][24] Seating capacity was initially restricted to 80% by the COVID-19 pandemic.[24]
With the introduction of the Paris–Milan Frecciarossa, Trenitalia became the first company to enter France's railway market after SNCF,[7][10] made possible by the liberalisation of the European railway network through the European Union's Guideline 91/440.[25] Trenitalia forecasted that it would eventually provide ten services daily, transporting 5,000 passengers.[26]
Operation
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By February 2022, the services had an average occupancy rate of 83%,[23][24] reaching peaks of 98% during the Christmas holidays,[24] with 40% of tickets booked in the week preceding each journey.[23][24] Reflecting on the route's success, Trenitalia advertised one job in Chambéry, four in Lyon, and thirteen in Paris.[25]
On 5 April 2022,[27][28] Trenitalia France introduced a shortworking service between Lyon-Perrache and Paris Gare de Lyon, with an intermediate stop in Lyon-Part-Dieu.[28] Three trains in each direction per day were initially scheduled,[27][28] increasing to five trains from 1 June 2022.[29][30] The Paris–Lyon route is France's busiest high-speed route,[25][31] with Trenitalia's services constituting a fifth of trains serving it.[25]
Between 11 April and 8 May 2022, two carriages were painted with Disney themes, with a competition offering passengers the chance to win visits to Disneyland Paris.[32][33][34]
By December 2022, a million tickets had been sold on the service,[3][35] with the average fare dropping from €82 in 2021 to €68 in 2022. 79% of passengers travelled in standard class. Italians constituted 53% of passengers, with 34% from France, 6% from the United Kingdom, and 3% from the United States. The busiest routes were Paris–Lyon and Paris–Chambéry.[36][37] According to data from Trainline, the competition introduced by Trenitalia reduced average fares along the Paris–Milan route by 8%.[38]
Suspension
On 27 August 2023, a landslide led approximately 15,000 cubic metres (530,000 cu ft) of rock to fall on the railway tracks and adjoining A43 autoroute between Modane and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.[39] Services were initially intended to resume on 29 August,[40] then in mid-November.[39][41] In October 2023, the reopening date was revised to summer 2024.[39][41][42] From 10 January 2024, SNCF ran a partial service, with a replacement shuttlebus between Oulx and Chambéry.[43] After extensive work, the re-opening date was revised to spring 2025.[11]
On the 1st of April 2025, direct service between Italy and France was resumed with two round trip trains per day.[44]
Route
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The service begins at Milano Centrale using 3,000 volts DC.[6] After Milano Rho, it runs along the Turin–Milan high-speed railway,[45] at 25,000 volts AC,[6] to reach its first intermediate stop, Torino Porta Susa.[2][7] The service then runs along the Turin–Modane railway, electrified at 3,000 volts DC.[46] Some trains call at Bardonecchia and,[8][47] after the international border, all services call at Modane.[2][7] The train stops for a customs and police control at the international border, which usually takes ten minutes: the schedule allows some flexibility through an extended stop in Lyon.[25]
The service continues along the Culoz–Modane railway, electrified at 1,500 volts DC,[6] to reach Chambéry-Challes-les-Eaux.[2][7] After Chambéry, the trains run along the single-tracked Saint-André-le-Gaz–Chambéry railway, which leads to the Lyon–Marseille railway,[25][11] and the final intermediate stop at Lyon-Part-Dieu.[2][7] Joining the LGV Sud-Est, the train returns to 25,000 volts AC to reach the terminus at Paris Gare de Lyon.[6]
Compared to the Milan–Paris route used by SNCF services, by using the Turin–Milan high-speed railway,[4][6] rather than the slower Turin–Milan railway,[5][6] the Milan–Paris Frecciarossa saves forty minutes' journey time. On the other hand, the SNCF services call at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry rather than Part-Dieu, saving twenty minutes' journey time.[11] The SNCF's services terminate at Milano Porta Garibaldi rather than Milano Centrale.[25]
Services
Before the service's suspension, two trains ran in each direction per day,[19][48] with journey times ranging between 6 hours 42 minutes and 6 hours 57 minutes.[48]
As of March 2024, the service runs five trains in each direction per weekday between Paris Gare-de-Lyon and Lyon-Perrache, with an intermediate stop in Lyon-Part-Dieu. On the weekends, four trains run in each direction per day between Paris and Lyon, and an additional service terminating at Chambéry instead of Lyon-Perrache.[9]
Classes and facilities
The service includes three classes, branded as "comforts": standard, business, and executive. Each train also hosts a Sala Meeting,[1][26][49] a bookable meeting room with a capacity for five people.[1][49] Standard and Business Comfort classes are further divided into Allegro (transl. lively) and Silenzio (transl. silence) ambiances.[1][26][50]
Each train is equipped with free Wi-Fi and a bar.[1][51] A bilingual magazine, La Freccia Sans Frontières, is distributed on board.[52]
Rolling stock
The service uses Frecciarossa 1000 trains,[5][6] built by Hitachi and Bombardier Transportation,[5][11] each with a capacity of 462 passengers,[25] travelling at 360 kilometres per hour (220 mph).[53] The maximum speed between Turin and Lyon is 155 kilometres per hour (96 mph).[14] The train does not change drivers and engines at the international border.[54]
Controversies
The service's inauguration was criticised for highlighting Italy's infrastructural inequality, with slower train services in southern Italy.[14][55]
An on-board menu for business and premium classes was designed by chef and television personality Carlo Cracco.[56][49] The menu, which costs €18,[57] was criticised for its poor quality, prompting Cracco to defend it in the press.[58]
Trenitalia has complained about France's high track access charges, which reach €39 per train-kilometre in the Paris–Lyon section. The company received a 37% discount to charges in its first year of operation, decreasing to 16% and 8% in the second and third years.[25]
The initial service was criticised for the lack of a stop in the Susa Valley, in the Italian Alps.[1][59] Among those campaigning for a stop were Alberto Cirio, the Piedmontese president, and Marco Gabusi, the regional councillor for infrastructure and transport.[1][60] In February 2022, it was reported that Trenitalia France was considering a stop in Oulx or Bardonecchia, but was concerned by the additional stop time and border controls that operate in the section.[61] From 11 December 2022,[62][63] one train in each direction per day was scheduled to stop in Bardonecchia for the winter ski season.[8][47]
Incidents
On 23 December 2021, a train's arrival in Milan was delayed by 15 minutes after two passengers boarded the train in Torino Porta Susa with a green pass that was not theirs, requiring the police's attendance.[64]