The 11-car train is being prepared at Alstom's Savigliano site, whichis assembling eight of the trains, before test operation begins on the
mainline. Alstom began the certification process last year using the
prototype AGV train, which culminated with a 330km/h run on the Milan -
Bologna high-speed line on December 12. NTV hopes to gain full type
approval of the production train from Italian Railway Network (RFI) by
April. This will allow a pre-operation phase to begin in mid-May.
Driver training has already commenced using a full-scale simulator
supplied by Eads. NTV has recruited around 100 drivers for the initial
phase of operations.
NTV plans to launch its first .Italo services on the Milan - Rome -
Naples corridor on September 1 next year. The full service will
comprise an hourly-interval operation on the core Rome - Florence -
Bologna - Milan section, with alternate trains running west from Milan
to Turin, and south from Rome to Naples. NTV also plans to run five
trains per day between Rome and Venice.
Naples corridor on September 1 next year. The full service will
comprise an hourly-interval operation on the core Rome - Florence -
Bologna - Milan section, with alternate trains running west from Milan
to Turin, and south from Rome to Naples. NTV also plans to run five
trains per day between Rome and Venice.
