ITALY's rail regulator (URSF) has ruled in favour of Italian Rail Network (RFI) in a dispute with open-access high-speed operator NTV over the recent erection of a fence at Rome Ostiense which prevents NTV passengers walking directly from NTV's lounge to their train on the adjacent platform 15.

THE International Union of Railways (UIC) has nominated Mr Vladimir Yakunin, president of Russian Railways (RZD) as its next chairman. The appointment will be ratified at the UIC's next general assembly in Paris in December. Yakunin will then serve as UIC chairman for two years.

The dispute between Italian open-access high-speed operator NTV and infrastructure manager Italian Railway Network (RFI) has taken a further turn after NTV took out full page advertisements in the Corriere della Sera and Repubblica newspapers on July 9 calling on the government intervene.

ITALIAN infrastructure manager Italian Rail Network (RFI) opened the new 180km/h high-speed tunnel beneath Bologna on June 21.

THE CEO of Italian State Railway (FS), Mr Mauro Moretti, officially launched construction of a 39km section of the Milan - Verona high-speed line between Treviglio and Brescia.

Italy's new government has only been in office since November 2011 but already it is planning sweeping changes to the country's bloated public sector, as it seeks to liberalise the economy and cut its massive debt while at the same time kick-starting growth.

The first of five architecturally-striking high-speed stations under construction in Italy was completed on November 28 2011 with the opening of Rome Tiburtina.

PLANS have been drawn up to restructure Italy's loss-making train manufacturer AnsaldoBreda with a view to achieving a balanced budget by 2014. This follows the breakdown of negotiations to sell the company to Alstom, Bombardier or General Electric.