Italy - Milan to Bologna high-speed line - Pre-launch testing begins

Italian Railways has commenced a programme of intensive pre-launch running of trains along its Milan to Bologna high-speed line in advance of a December 13 launch.

Three trainsets, an ETR500 set 59, an ETR600 set 8 and the Network Rail Italy owned ETR500 Y1 test train are undertaking 20 return runs daily along the line- seven days a week -  to ensure that staff, operations, maintenance facilities, the trains, track and all  the equipment all work properly.

Test running will continue until December 12th. The line opens officially to fare paying passengers on Saturday December 13th. Journey times between Milan and Bologna will be slashed to 1hr for the approximately 120 mile journey. ETR500 trains will be able to run at a maximum of 300km/h (186mph) while other ETR variants will be limited to their top speed which is 250km/h (155mph).

The opening of Milan to Bologna will complete another important section of the 'T' shaped Italian high-speed network which is under construction. The ultimate aim is a West to East 186mph line between Venice and Turin in the North, connecting to the North to South high-speed line from Milan to Naples.

Sections of line already open include Turin to Novara, and the majority of Rome to Naples. By December 2009, the final section of the Rome Naples line - which traverses the suburbs of Naples, and the Novara to Turin section of Turin- Milan - will be open to traffic. Also completing the jigsaw will be the Bologna to Florence line - which is mainly in tunnel. The Rome to Florence high-speed line - already in traffic - is to be upgraded to allow 300km/h running from its current 250km/h line speed limit. The work involves converting the overhead power supplies from 3Kv DC to 25Kv AC operation. This work is to be completed in time for December 2009, whereby the whole Turin - Milan - Naples high-speed network should be complete.

The only section of network not to be complete by December 2009 will be the Milan to Venice, although a couple of short sections - Milan to Treviglio and Padova to Venice Mestre - have been built and are currently in use.

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