Hitachi Rail and Bombardier Transportation have signed a €797m ($943m) contract with Italian train operator Trenitalia to deliver 23 Frecciarossa 1000 very high-speed (VHS) trains.

The operator ordered the new trains for the new Intermodalidad de Levante (ILSA) rail operation, which is a Trenitalia and Operador Ferroviario de Levante joint venture.

Hitachi Rail will have 60% participation in the project while Bombardier will have 40%.

Bombardier Transportation Italy MD and president Franco Beretta said: “The Frecciarossa 1000 VHS train has been chosen for the new ILSA franchise in Spain to enrich the travel experience for passengers, thanks to its high levels of comfort and reliability.

“With cutting-edge train control and propulsion technologies deriving from the V300ZEFIRO platform, these fast and quiet trains are already very popular with long-distance travellers in Italy.

“The liberalisation of Europe’s railways enables ILSA to offer new rail services in Spain to encourage even more passengers to shift their journeys from cars and planes to trains, contributing to global sustainability goals.”

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The Frecciarossa 1000 is said to be Europe’s fastest and quietest high-speed train.

The 23 Frecciarossa 1000 trains will be built in Italy by Bombardier and Hitachi and comply with all TSI requirements.

Capable of running at a commercial speed of up to 360km/h, the trains are equipped with the latest aerodynamics and energy-saving technologies to aid high-speed operations.

Each of these 200m trains can accommodate around 460 passengers. They will feature a meeting room and bistro area, as well as on-board Wi-Fi services.

Spanish railway infrastructure manager ADIF has selected ILSA as the first private operator to access the Spanish rail market.

ILSA will operate high-speed services on the Madrid-Barcelona, Madrid-Valencia/Alicante and Madrid-Seville/Malaga lines from 2022.

In June 2019, Trenitalia placed a $643m order with Hitachi Rail and Bombardier Transportation to procure 14 Frecciarossa 1000 trains.

In a separate development, Hitachi Rail has agreed to purchase Perpetuum, a technology firm that develops digital technology to improve railway operations, efficiency and service quality.