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The first ETR 108 built for Trenitalia’s Intercity services has officially left Alstom’s Savigliano factory and entered the testing phase. The train, numbered 023, is the first unit to appear in the new white-and-blue Intercity livery and marks an important milestone in the introduction of a new generation of medium and long-distance trains for Central Italy.
Following its release from the plant, the eight-car electric multiple unit carried out a series of test runs between Savigliano and Treviglio, completing a round trip as part of its initial commissioning programme.
Although based on Alstom’s well-known Coradia Stream platform, already used for Trenitalia’s ETR 103/104 “Pop” fleet and Trenord’s ETR 204 “Donizetti” units, the ETR 108 Intercity features a redesigned front end. Compared with the regional variants, the nose is more angular and streamlined, giving the train a distinct appearance.
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The rollout comes shortly after the vehicle type received authorisation from both the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and the Italian National Agency for Railway Safety (ANSFISA). The trains are equipped with ERTMS signalling technology and are approved for operation at speeds of up to 200 km/h.
A total of 12 ETR 108 units will be delivered in the Intercity configuration. They are intended for services linking Lazio, Umbria, and Tuscany, making full use of the high-speed Rome–Florence Direttissima line, where their 200 km/h capability will allow faster and more efficient operations.
In addition to the Intercity fleet, a further 22 ETR 108 trains will be supplied for regional services, wearing Trenitalia Regionale’s green-and-yellow “Rebel Revolution” livery.
The appearance of unit 023 on the network represents the first visible step towards the entry into service of a fleet that will significantly modernise both regional and Intercity operations in Central Italy.
