Future of frecciabianca trains

[Stephen Lee]

Wikipedia mentioned The elimination of Frecciabianca services began in 2016 and will be progressively replaced by other service categories like Frecciarossa/Frecciagento, so I wondered will Frecciabianca soon become a part of history...........
Also according to wikipedia, below are the HSR in Italy which is due to be constructed:

• Milan-Venice: the remaining portion from Brescia to Padova is under construction at a cost of €2.5 billion, while the rest of the line is already in operation. High speed trains currently use the conventional line between Brescia and Padova. Construction should finish in 2026, including a 7.7 kilometer tunnel between Lonato del Garda and Desenzano del Garda.
• Milan-Genoa: the project was approved in 2006 at €6.2 billion; construction work started in 2011.Work between Genoa and Tortona was temporarily halted due to funding problems, but restarted in 2019 and now is expected to be completed by 2023.
• Turin-Lyon: the Turin-Lyon line should connect Turin, Lyon and Chambéry, and join the Italian and the French high speed rail networks. It would take over the role of the current Fréjus railway. The project costs €26 billion, with the Mont d'Ambin Base Tunnel, a 57.5 kilometer trans-alpine tunnel between Italy and France, costing €18.3 billion. Although the plan was highly controversial, the Italian senate approved funding in mid-2019, with the project tentatively due to be completed in 2029.
• Milan-Chiasso: a route connecting the Italian high-speed rail network to Switzerland and Germany is conceived through a Swiss project NRLA, which includes the Gotthard Base Tunnel and the Lötschberg Base Tunnel.
• Brenner Base Tunnel: the Brenner Base Tunnel will link Verona, Innsbruck, and Munich, and thus connect the Italian, Austrian and German railways. The Brenner tunnel is the most important link in a series of projects that will create a single connection from Berlin in Germany to Palermo in Sicily as part of the Trans-European Transport Networks. In December 2008, Antonio Tajani, the European commissioner for transport, approved funds totalling €1.7 billion to finance 11 railway projects that together should establish two major north-south routes across the European continent. As of 2020, the half the tunnel's length has been excavated and is due for freight and passenger use by 2028.
• Trieste-Ljubljana: a connection with Ljubljana would encourage rail development into Eastern Europe and link the Slovenian Pendolino and Italian TAV networks.[according to whom?] Currently the circuitous route takes 2:42 hours compared to 1:10 by car; two passenger trains are scheduled each way daily.
• Naples-Bari: the construction began in 2015 and the route will cut Rome-Bari journeys from 3h59m to 3h00m. Totaling €6.2 billion for the whole project, the final €2.1 billion needed to complete the project was approved in 2019, and completion of the line is projected for 2022.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Looks like the route via Verona, and the Brenner project, are well under way.
The Bari scheme is mainly upgrades at the Naples end, which are in progress.
I think the others are less certain, with funding problems even if the political will is there.

 

[superalbs]

I used a Frecciabianca service back in August, and to be honest it wasn't very impressive, just seemed like a differently branded 'InterCity' to me.

Wouldn't be a great loss if it was replaced by other types.

 

[D6130]

The Bari scheme is mainly upgrades at the Naples end, which are in progress.

There's now a considerable amount of new HSL construction in progress through the very earthquake-prone Irpinia area to the east of Napoli.

 

[30907]

I used a Frecciabianca service back in August, and to be honest it wasn't very impressive, just seemed like a differently branded 'InterCity' to me.

Wouldn't be a great loss if it was replaced by other types.

I suppose it depends on whether it's a Pendolino or a normal set (and whether there's any amount of tilting/high speed running).
Looking at a few random routes in ERT, on Bologna-Ancona FA and FB timings are the same.

 

[D6130]

I suppose it depends on whether it's a Pendolino or a normal set (and whether there's any amount of tilting/high speed running).
Looking at a few random routes in ERT, on Bologna-Ancona FA and FB timings are the same.

Frecciabianca services don't tilt and are composed of refurbished UIC-Z (ex-InterCity) stock topped-and-tailed by ex-Eurostar Italia class E414 3 kV dc only power cars or, occasionally class E402b dual-voltage locos in push-pull mode. They are restricted to a maximum of 200 km/h and, as you say correctly, have identical timings between Bologna and Ancona....and South thereof, running on the classic line between Milano and Bologna. The various types of Trenitalia Pendolino tilting trains are branded 'Frecciargento' ('Silver Arrow') and are used mainly on the more mountainous North-South routes, with a maximum speed of 250 km/h. Just to make things interesting, an increasing number of the Milano-Ancona services are now being operated by the non-tilting class ETR700 (refurbished ex-FYRA) units, which run at 250 km/h over the Milano-Bologna HSL and are also branded as 'Frecciargento'. Much of the displaced 'Frecciabianca' stock is now being returned to InterCity services, which are now on the increase again after years of decline....so the wheel has come full circle in that respect.

 

[30907]

Frecciabianca services don't tilt and are composed of refurbished UIC-Z (ex-InterCity) stock topped-and-tailed by ex-Eurostar Italia class E414 3 kV dc only power cars or, occasionally class E402b dual-voltage locos in push-pull mode. They are restricted to a maximum of 200 km/h and, as you say correctly, have identical timings between Bologna and Ancona....and South thereof, running on the classic line between Milano and Bologna. The various types of Trenitalia Pendolino tilting trains are branded 'Frecciargento' ('Silver Arrow') and are used mainly on the more mountainous North-South routes, with a maximum speed of 250 km/h. Just to make things interesting, an increasing number of the Milano-Ancona services are now being operated by the non-tilting class ETR700 (refurbished ex-FYRA) units, which run at 250 km/h over the Milano-Bologna HSL and are also branded as 'Frecciargento'. Much of the displaced 'Frecciabianca' stock is now being returned to InterCity services, which are now on the increase again after years of decline....so the wheel has come full circle in that respect.

Thanks. The Wikipedia article linked to ETR460 units, hence my question.

 

[tbwbear]

Just to make things interesting, an increasing number of the Milano-Ancona services are now being operated by the non-tilting class ETR700 (refurbished ex-FYRA) units, which run at 250 km/h over the Milano-Bologna HSL and are also branded as 'Frecciargento'. Much of the displaced 'Frecciabianca' stock is now being returned to InterCity services, which are now on the increase again after years of decline....so the wheel has come full circle in that respect.

I took one of those "Frecciargento" Fyra services from Modena to Milano early last year. I was quite impressed to be honest. It had originated in Ancona and I think it ran in the timings of the former "Frecciabianca" train between Modena and Milano and used the classic line.

Is the plan to route the Frecciargento (Ancona to Milano) over the HSL between Bologna and Milano now ? And, presumably use IC on the Bologna to Milano classic line ?

 

[D6130]

Is the plan to route the Frecciargento (Ancona to Milano) over the HSL between Bologna and Milano now ? And, presumably use IC on the Bologna to Milano classic line ?

I believe so from reading various Italian railway magazines but, as with everything else, many plans have been put on hold due to the pandemic.

 

[Austriantrain]

Much of the displaced 'Frecciabianca' stock is now being returned to InterCity services, which are now on the increase again after years of decline....so the wheel has come full circle in that respect.

AFAUI the Freccia services are commercial offers, whereas (all?) Intercity trains are PSO services. It would be interesting to see whether FB have been changed over into PSO services or whether these are new additions.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

As someone who has a second home near Naples, I'll explain the Naples-Bari HSR in more detail.

Starting from the Naples end, it will involve an extra 2 tracks being built between Napoli Centrale (Naples Central) and Cancello, as well as a new variant being built to serve the new Naples Afragola High Speed railway station. After Cancello, the railway line will be completely rebuilt with two tracks and more tunnels and viaducts (currently it's single track, as typical of many railway lines in Southern Italy). Future top speed will be 250 km/h (155 mph), currently I don't know (presumably 160 km/h or 100 mph). This will be the case until a town near Benevento, Vitulano, where from there onwards until Apice (after Benevento) it is already 2 track with new tunnels and bridge. From Apice onwards the line will be, again, completely rebuilt with constant 2 tracks, new tunnels and bridges until Cervara. New stations are also planning to be built: these include Hirpinia, Porta di Napoli as well as a complete reconstruction of Casalnuovo and Acerra. For the latter, it is to allow easier interchange with the Circumvesuviana narrow-gauge railway.

I'm excited for this new line, as it means after so long, our government is finally interested in investing quality service on railways in Southern Italy, which have been badly neglected over the past years.

 

[Austriantrain]

As someone who has a second home near Naples, I'll explain the Naples-Bari HSR in more detail.

Starting from the Naples end, it will involve an extra 2 tracks being built between Napoli Centrale (Naples Central) and Cancello, as well as a new variant being built to serve the new Naples Afragola High Speed railway station. After Cancello, the railway line will be completely rebuilt with two tracks and more tunnels and viaducts (currently it's single track, as typical of many railway lines in Southern Italy). Future top speed will be 250 km/h (155 mph), currently I don't know (presumably 160 km/h or 100 mph). This will be the case until a town near Benevento, Vitulano, where from there onwards until Apice (after Benevento) it is already 2 track with new tunnels and bridge. From Apice onwards the line will be, again, completely rebuilt with constant 2 tracks, new tunnels and bridges until Cervara. New stations are also planning to be built: these include Hirpinia, Porta di Napoli as well as a complete reconstruction of Casalnuovo and Acerra. For the latter, it is to allow easier interchange with the Circumvesuviana narrow-gauge railway.

I'm excited for this new line, as it means after so long, our government is finally interested in investing quality service on railways in Southern Italy, which have been badly neglected over the past years.

Very interesting, thank you! Do you know if separate HS trains from Rome and Naples towards Bari are planned once the new line is completed? Running Rome - Naples (reversal) - Bari would be a major detour.