Editing Transport in Italy (section)

===High speed trains===
{{Main article|High-speed rail in Italy}}
[[File:Rimessa ferroviaria pistoia 64.jpg|thumb|The original Italian [[FS Class ETR 200|ETR 200]] trainset of the speed world record ({{convert|203|km/h|abbr=on|disp=or}}) in 1938, now preserved as historical train, was re-numbered ETR 232 in the 1960s]]
[[File:FS ETR.500 pair, Firenze S.M.N. (1).JPG|thumb|A pair of [[Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane|FS]]' [[ETR 500]] at [[Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station]]. The version ETR 500 Y1 achieved {{convert|362|km/h|abbr=on}} on the Bologna-Florence line on 4 February 2009, a new world speed record in a tunnel.<ref name="FS355record">{{cite web |url=http://www.corriere.it/cronache/09_febbraio_04/treno_record_galleria_8806fdfa-f2ce-11dd-8878-00144f02aabc.shtml |title=Due record in prova per il Frecciarossa |date=2009-02-04 |publisher=Repubblica |language=it |access-date=2009-02-05}}</ref>]]
[[File:Italo Evo in Venezia.jpg|thumb|{{ill|ETR 675|it|Elettrotreno NTV ETR.675}} ''Italo EVO'' ([[Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori|NTV]]) at [[Venezia Mestre railway station]].]]

The Italian high-speed service began in 1938 with an electric-multiple-unit [[ETR 200]], designed for {{convert|200|km/h|abbr=on}}, between Bologna and Naples. It too reached {{convert|160|km/h|abbr=on}} in commercial service, and achieved a world mean speed record of {{convert|203|km/h|abbr=on}} between Florence and Milan in 1938.

Major works to increase the commercial speed of the trains already started in 1967: the [[Florence–Rome high-speed railway|Rome-Florence "super-direct" line]] was built for trains up to {{convert|230|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, and reduced the journey time to less than two hours. The Florence–Rome high-speed railway was the first high-speed line opened in Europe when more than half of it opened in 1977.

In 2009 a new high-speed line linking Milan and Turin, operating at {{convert|300|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, opened to passenger traffic, reducing the journey time from two hours to one hour. In the same year, the Milan-Bologna line was open, reducing the journey time to 55 minutes. Also the Bologna-Florence high-speed line was upgraded to {{convert|300|km/h|0|abbr=on}} for a journey time of 35 minutes.

Since then, it is possible to travel from Turin to Salerno (ca. {{convert|950|km|abbr=on}}) in less than five hours. More than 100 trains per day are operated.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom/Le-Frecce/Collegamenti-e-servizi-Frecciarossa|title=Viaggia con i treni Frecciarossa e acquista il biglietti a prezzi scontati - Le Frecce - Trenitalia|website=trenitalia.com|language=it|access-date=2017-05-14|archive-date=15 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170515170812/http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom/Le-Frecce/Collegamenti-e-servizi-Frecciarossa|url-status=live}}</ref>

The main public operator of high-speed trains (''alta velocità AV'', formerly [[Eurostar Italia]]) is [[Trenitalia]], part of [[Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane|FSI]]. Trains are divided into three categories (called "[[Le Frecce]]"): ''[[Frecciarossa]]'' ("Red arrow") trains operate at a maximum of {{convert|300|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on dedicated high-speed tracks; ''[[Frecciargento]]'' (Silver arrow) trains operate at a maximum of {{convert|250|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on both high-speed and mainline tracks; ''[[Frecciabianca]]'' (White arrow) trains operate at a maximum of {{convert|200|km/h|0|abbr=on}} on mainline tracks only.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.interrail.eu/it/plan-your-trip/tips-and-tricks/trains-europe/high-speed-trains/le-frecce|title=Treno ad alta velocità Le Frecce|access-date=24 September 2024|language=it}}</ref>

Since 2012, a new and Italy's first private train operator, [[Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori|NTV]] (branded as Italo), run high-speed services in competition with [[Trenitalia]]. Even nowadays, Italy is the only country in Europe with a private high-speed train operator.

Construction of the Milan-Venice high-speed line has begun in 2013 and in 2016 the [[Milan–Verona high-speed railway|Milan-Treviglio]] section has been opened to passenger traffic; the Milan-Genoa high-speed line (Terzo Valico dei Giovi) is also under construction.

Today it is possible to travel from Rome to Milan in less than three hours (2h 55') with the [[Frecciarossa 1000]], the new high-speed train. To cover this route, there's a train every 30 minutes.