Following the development of the Paris – Milan line, and the Paris – Lyon – Marseille line at €27, Trenitalia has not finished conquering the French market, as the Italian company now intends to tackle the Channel Tunnel. Trenitalia plans to shake up Eurostar on its home turf, by introducing its own line by 2029.
Trenitalia: a new operator to rival Eurostar
Since 2021, Trenitalia has been gaining ground on the French rail market, setting up low-cost lines throughout the country. This time, it’s another emblematic SNCF monopoly that has to face up to the aggressive strategy of the Italian rail operator. The latter is ready to invest 1 billion euros to conquer the Channel Tunnel.
Once again, we can expect not only low fares offered directly by the transalpine company, but also lower overall fares on the line as a result of this competition. For example, Trenitalia’s entry on the Paris-Lyon route led to a 10 to 40% reduction in fares. The same phenomenon is likely to occur between the two European capitals. A much less expensive alternative is thus emerging on a line that is not usually cheap.
All that remains is to wait, however, as this arrival is not currently scheduled until 2029.