As part of his visit, LaHood joined Mr Mauro Moretti, CEO of Italian Railways (FS), on a journey on FS' Red Arrow service from Rome to Naples.
"The United States has a lot to learn about high-speed trains, especially now that our system has entered the implementation stage," LaHood says. "I am enthusiastic about this opportunity to learn from Italy and experience this great country's technology first-hand."
Moretti says that LaHood's visit reaffirmed Italy's success at introducing high-speed solutions, specifically as the first country in Europe to implement ERTMS Level 2, and to use entirely home-developed technology, a major element of the United States' high-speed plans.
"The U.S. secretary's visit confirms the interest in high-speed rail both in the United States and the rest of the world," Moretti says. "This interest is due to the high quality of the technological systems on which it is based."
