As Italy emerges from lockdown, Trenitalia will be first off the block with what will possibly be Europe’s longest train ride.

Italy’s state rail operator will link Turin in the North with Reggio di Calabria in the South. Trenitalia will deploy a Frecciarossa high-speed trainset effective June 3.

The Northbound Frecciarossa commences June 4, and there will be a single daily Frecciarossa each way taking ten hours 50 minutes to complete the trip.

The schedules are as follows:

  • Turin (Porta Nova) to Reggio di Calabria, departing 0800, arriving 1850
  • Reggio di Calabria to Turin (Porta Nova), departing 1010, arriving 2100

Website Europe by Rail reckons that with a route length of 1,387 km (862 miles)  it “must surely rank as one of Europe’s longest regular daytime rail journeys that can be completed without changing trains.”

However Trenitalia’s claim to fame will be short lived, as open access rival Italo, a member of Allrail EU, will enter the route ten days later.

Italo will operate up to twice daily in either direction, effective June 14.

Schedules according to italotreno.it display two southbound but just one northbound service. Business Traveller will seek schedule clarification from Italo and update the copy later.

Note Italo operates from Turin (Porta Susa). Its journey times are roughly similar.

  • Turin (Porta Susa) to Reggio di Calabria, departing 0523, arriving 1630
  • Turin (Porta Susa) to Reggio di Calabria, departing 1319, arriving 0007 (the following day)
  • Reggio di Calabria to Turin (Porta Susa) 1330-0015 (following day)

Both Trenitalia and Italo offer a choice of passenger accommodation at varying prices. Check their websites for details.

As with France’s TGVs and Germany’s ICEs, readers will find that routes are not high speed all the way.

Stretches of the route linking Turin with Reggio di Calabria operate over conventional track, particularly south of Naples.

From Turin both operators take the main route via Milan, Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples.

I suspect many travellers will join/alight at intermediate stops rather than completing the entire trip.

As reported by Business Traveller, Trenitalia recently began distributing safety kits to Frecciarossa travellers.

trenitalia.com, italotreno.it