Trenitalia attacks Trenord. Currently the Lombard railway transport company is controlled exactly halfway by Trenitalia, which belongs to FS, and Ferrovie Nord Milano, a company listed on the Stock Exchange but firmly controlled by the Lombardy Region, which holds 57,5% (while FS itself holds a 14,7% stake). However, perfectly equal control, as underlined today by the managing director of Trenitalia, Orazio Iacono, "doesn't work" and therefore the national company has sent a proposal to the Lombardy Region in recent days which provides for the loan of an equal share 1% held by the Region in Trenord through FNM, in exchange for Trenitalia's commitment to take on investments of 1,6 billion for 161 new trains.
The proposal was announced to the press by Trenitalia CEO Orazio Iacono: “We expect a response within a few weeks”, said Iacono underlining the advantages of the proposal for commuters, who represent 90% of the group's clientele. If the proposal is accepted, Trenitalia will therefore take charge of the investments for 1,6 billion actually already allocated by the Region (which every year, apart from extraordinary interventions, disburses 420 million for the service contract) for 161 new trains. Iacono's plan envisages that the trains will start arriving on the Lombard rails as early as the second half of 2019, with the last delivery by 2022, three years before the time trial program of the Pirellone. The duration of the loan of the company share, which will allow Trenitalia to be in the majority in this period, has not yet been defined and will be subject to negotiation between the parties.
Trenitalia's plan actually goes far beyond the renewal of the train fleet. That remains a priority, especially afterwards the Pioltello accident last January, but they are there also a goal of financial consolidation and a strategic one, which concerns the increasingly widespread integration process that Fs is carrying out in local transport throughout Italy, with investments in trains, buses and even subways. Milan is an example of this: the railways recently bought 36,5% of Metro 5.
