ITALIAN State Railways (FS) is to invest €17bn of additional funding to 2020 following an agreement between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and Italian Rail Network (RFI), with safety, technology and capacity identified as priorities.

A feasibility study into the construction of a €1bn route between Dobbiaco and Calalzo in Italy's Belluno province will take place following an agreement signed on February 13.

With at least two sets of national rules and numerous location-specific technical considerations to contend with, cross-border ERTMS deployments can represent a daunting challenge for infrastructure managers. Keith Barrow looks at two key projects which are seeking to streamline international train movements on the Rhine-Alpine Corridor.

PUGLIA regional operator Ferrotramviaria marked the completion of another phase in the modernisation of its train fleet on February 11, when three new four-car ETR 452 EMUs were formally presented to regional councillor Mr Giovanni Giannini by the railway's president Mrs Gloria Pasquini and by the company's general director Mr Massimo Nitti in Bari.

ITALIAN State Railways (FS) CEO Mr Renato Mazzoncini and Iranian Islamic Republic Railways (RAI) president Dr Mohsen Pour Seyed Aghaei signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Tehran on February 9 pledging to co-operate in the development of Iran's high-speed rail network and the modernisation of RAI's rolling stock fleet.

THE president of Friuli Venezia Giulia region Mrs Debora Serracchiani signed a framework agreement with Italian Railway Network (RFI) CEO Mr Maurizio Gentile in Rome on February 3 setting out investment priorities for the Italian region's railway network over the next 17 years.

PLANS for investment in new trains for the Italian region of Emilia Romagna were outlined in Bologna on January 29 by Italy's infrastructure and transport minister Mr Graziano Delrio, regional president Mr Stefano Bonaccini, Emilia Romagna Passenger Transport (TPER) president Mrs Giuseppina Gualtieri, and the newly-appointed CEO of Trenitalia Mrs Barbara Morgante.

IRAN's minister of transport Mr Abbas Akhoundi and Italy's minister of infrastructure and transport Mr Graziano Delrio have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for Italian State Railways (FS) to become a development partner for Iranian Islamic Republic Railways (RAI).

ITALIAN State Railways (FS) has received expressions of interest from 17 groups for the sale of its Grandi Stazioni Retail subsidiary which it owns jointly with Eurostazioni.

STRUKTON Rail announced on January 22 that it will increase its stake in Bologna-based railway infrastructure contractor Construzioni Linee Ferroviarie (CLF) to 100% with the acquisition of the 40% stake in the company currently held by Unieco, Italy.