VEOLIA Transdev and Trenitalia today announced France's first open-access passenger operator will begin operating overnight services from Paris to Milan and Venice on December 11.

The Thello joint venture will offer couchette and two classes of sleeper accommodation on its services which will run via Dijon, Brescia, and Verona. Each train will include a restaurant car seating 36 passengers, and breakfast will be served to sleeper passengers.

 

Thello was created under a partnership agreement signed between the two companies in January. French National Railways (SNCF) leasing subsidiary Akiem will provide the locomotives for the trains.

Trenitalia and SNCF recently withdrew sleeping cars from the trains they jointly operate under the Artesia brand; the Paris - Milan - Venice Stendhal and the Palatino from Paris to Rome. The restaurant car has also been withdrawn from the Stendhal.