The aim of the new pact is to introduce improvements to customer services by the end of this year, strengthen reliability from next year, and upgrade rolling stock by 2015.
SBB and Trenitalia reorganized international passenger operations between Switzerland and Italy following the termination of their Cisalpino joint venture, and today each operator is responsible for its own section of the route. Under the new agreement, passengers who have booked first class with either operator will be able to use the lounges in Zürich and major cities in Italy, and international online tickets will be available from this autumn.
From June 2014, departures times of Zürich – Milan EuroCity and Zurich – Lugano InterCity services will be adjusted to enable passengers to connect with Trenitalia high-speed trains from Milan. From 2015, almost all Milan services will be operated by ETR 610 Pendolino tilting emus, coinciding with the start of Expo 2015, which will be staged in Milan. In addition, the two railways have set out new uniform standards for customer satisfaction, punctuality, and the quality and availability of rolling stock.
