Trenitalia is planning growth: This is how Netinera makes the leap into Germany!

Trenitalia is planning growth: This is how Netinera makes the leap into Germany!

Trenitalia, the Italian state railway, is bringing a breath of fresh air to the German railway market. The company is already active in many regions of Germany through its subsidiary Netinera and plans to continue to grow. According to a report by swz.it Netinera currently employs around 6,500 people and was able to achieve sales of 1.2 billion euros last year, as CFO Markus Resch can confirm in an analysis.

But the rise of the Italian railway is not only characterized by its growth. Netinera operates under various brands such as Metronom, ODEG, vlexx, alex and Waldbahn and has continuously established itself over the last 14 years. Despite its regional presence, the company faces major challenges: over 80 to 90 percent of delays in rail transport can be attributed to Deutsche Bahn's infrastructure. Of course, this results in frustrating traffic experiences for passengers.

Challenges in rail transport

The Pro Bahn passenger association is satisfied with Netinera's service, but points out the dilapidated rail infrastructure. Loud tagesschau.de DB InfraGo, the operator of the rail network, has received funds to renovate the network, but there is no short-term improvement in sight. This means that train punctuality remains a significant problem, although demand has increased significantly thanks to the “Deutschlandticket”.

The year 2023 not only brought an increase in regional and local passenger transport, but also an increase in revenue increases in rail transport. The Federal Network Agency reports that the market's total turnover has increased to around 26 billion euros, an increase of almost 8%. Nevertheless, the industry is struggling with challenges: overcrowded trains and an increase in train cancellations, which are around twice as high as in 2019.

Expansion and future plans

Trenitalia's plans to take possible steps into German long-distance transport depend heavily on the availability and condition of the infrastructure. While Resch currently sees no possibility of competing with Deutsche Bahn's ICEs, Netinera remains optimistic and plans to continue to grow steadily. There is a particularly loud noise in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia tagesschau.de still a lot of potential.

Incidentally, Netinera is showing its ability to act in the upcoming collective bargaining negotiations. According to the train drivers' union GDL, collective bargaining was concluded more quickly than at Deutsche Bahn. A sign that with a good hand in personnel management there could be a lot of improvements in the future.

It remains to be seen how competition in German rail transport will develop. After all, with the increasing pressure from companies like Trenitalia, something could soon change - for the benefit of passengers who are hoping for a positive change in rail transport.

You can also find a comprehensive analysis of current developments on the rail market at Federal Network Agency, which examines the challenges and opportunities in the railway market in detail.