This information was published in the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore which has not gone unnoticed on this side of the Alps: the SNCF is planning to move further into the Botte, following on from its service to Milan from Paris. From 2026, it plans to serve a total of 14 Italian cities from Paris via Lyon to Rome and Naples.
This expansion can be seen as a response to Trenitalia's ambitions which, with its Frecciarossa, has come to make mincemeat of the French company on its most profitable Paris-Lyon-(Turin-Milan) route. In mid-December, a year after its launch, Trenitalia will be taking stock of its activities in France.
To establish itself in Italy, SNCF is counting on its future TGV M assembled by Alstom in La Rochelle, the first train set of which was officially presented a few weeks ago. Fifteen of the 115 trainsets ordered will be dedicated to cross-border links operated by SNCF. The compatibility of the future TGV with the Italian rail network will make it possible to increase the number of frequencies to Turin and Milan and to develop services to cities further south. And this will be done without attacking Trenitalia head-on, as SNCF is currently refraining from launching direct services between Italy's major cities.
