The first high-speed private train will be commissioned in Italy in March 2012. The train called Italo was built by French company Alstom and will travel at a speed of 300 km/hour. It was unveiled by Ferrari head Luca di Montezemolo, co-owner of NTV, the company which ordered the modern trains. The deal is for 25 trains, worth a total of €1.5 bn. By commissioning the high-speed trains, NTV intends to become a major competitor of the State monopoly in railway transportation next year.

Italo is the most state-of-the-art train in Europe. It has panoramic windows, leather seats and its carriages are wider than those of the classic French high-speed trains (TGV). The private trains will travel along the route Bologna-Florence-Milan-Rome-Naples-Salerno and Turin.