High speed train
''Futuristic'' trains to speed up travel in Italy
19 May 2009A new rail operator in Italy is to offer a high-speed, environmentally-friendly rail service to travellers.
Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV) is to operate 25 ''futuristic'' Automotrice Grande Vitesse (AGV) trains which will reach speeds of up to 225 miles per hour.
The trains are built by the company made famous for the TGV high speed service in France and cost €650 million (£580 million) each, according to the Daily Telegraph.
When the service launches in 2011 it will provide links between major cities and popular tourism destinations, such as Turin, Salerno, Milan, Florence, Naples, and Rome.
Passenger areas onboard the new trains have been designed by Italdesign-Giugiaro, which has worked on the production of Ferrari and Lamborghini supercars.
TGV claims that the interior will offer "increased comfort in terms of both seating and aisles, whose size allows passengers to move and pass by each other with ease, even when carrying bulky luggage".
According to NTV, the trains will offer "15 per cent reduction in energy consumption compared to a traditional train with equal performance levels".
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