The ATR 365 regional trains were ordered by Sardinia Region in 2010 under a €58m contract, and are now awaiting certification by Italy's National Railway Safety Agency (ANSF). The approval process started on mainland Italy in 2013 at Trenitalia's Osmannoro facility followed by trials on the Arezzo - Sinalunga line. Trials will now continue on the Sardinian network with a view to the trains entering service between Cagliari, Olbia and Sassari later this year.

The 160km/h trains will have a better power to weight ratio and braking systems than the locomotive-hauled trains they will replace. They are also fitted with Sibi active body tilting technology which can tilt the train up to 6° to enable then to run at higher speeds through curves. As a result, the journey time for 285km trip from Olbia to Cagliari will be reduced from 3h 26min to 2h 20min while the 261km Sassari - Cagliari trip will be cut from 2h 51min to 2h 7min.

Sardinian-politicians

Francesco Pigliaru (left) and Massimo Deiana onboard the new train.