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Note: For educational purpose only. This page is meant purely as a documentation tool and has no legal effect. It is not a substitute for the official page of the operating company, manufacturer or official institutions. It cannot be used for staff training, which is the responsibility of approved institutions and companies.

NTV‑Italo positioned itself from the outset on high‑speed rail, becoming the first private operator in this segment — long before Velvet entered the French market twenty years later. High‑speed services run on the dedicated RFI network, meaning the rolling stock had to comply fully with its technical standards.

NTV‑Italo is among the operators that chose to buy new trains rather than second‑hand stock, a strategy requiring substantial financial resources.

At the launch of NTV, the three founders—Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Diego Della Valle, and Gianni Punzo—contributed only a limited share of the initial capital. Most of the funding was subsequently provided by institutional investors, including Intesa Sanpaolo, Generali, Alberto Bombassei, Isabella Seragnoli, and later SNCF, thereby strengthening the project’s financial base.

Montezemolo leveraged the credibility he had built as former chairman of Ferrari and president of Confindustria to attract investors. Together with Della Valle, Punzo, and Bombassei, he assembled a credible group of entrepreneurs. The entry of Intesa Sanpaolo and later SNCF reassured lenders, while the firm order for AGV trains from Alstom enabled the company to secure long-term financing.

On this page you will find a brief overview of each rolling‑stock type used by the operator, with a link leading to a dedicated technical sheet for every train.

As of 1 July 2026, NTV‑Italo operated the following fleet:

ETR 575

On 17 January 2008, Alstom issued a press release announcing that the Italian rail operator Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV) had ordered 25 trainsets of its new very‑high‑speed AGV generation, for a total of €650 million at the time. The contract also included 30 years of maintenance, which was not part of the purchase price, and an option for 10 additional trainsets.

Giuseppe Sciarrone’s decision — he was then CEO of NTV — to choose Alstom’s AGV is a rather exceptional episode in European railway history: a brand‑new private company, with no trains yet in service, decided to buy a train that existed only as an industrial prototype. History will not tell us what Alstom had to promise behind the scenes. Perhaps one day we will find out…

Sciarrone thought like an industrial strategist: the technical risk was outweighed by the strategic advantage. If NTV succeeded, it would be associated from the very beginning with the train of the future. NTV was not merely looking for a train to operate; it was looking for a train to define its identity. The AGV later became the Italo AGV, entering commercial service in April 2012 on Italy’s high‑speed lines.

The AGV was meant to allow Alstom to expand its market towards customers who did not want a trainset framed by two power cars — the traditional French TGV concept. Against all expectations, it became the only AGV ever built in series by Alstom for a commercial operator.

Classified as ETR 575 in Italy, the AGV is no longer produced today, althought that Alstom has returned — through the Avelia platform — to offering trainsets with end‑mounted power cars, whether single‑ or double‑deck. The AGV is Alstom’s self-financed, single‑deck, distributed‑traction high‑speed train, designed for international markets. NTV chose an 11‑car, 200 m, 410‑tonne version with 7,500 kW from permanent‑magnet motors, offering 300–360 km/h. Interior space was enlarged and comfort refined. Built in La Rochelle and Savigliano, the trains entered service after extensive testing. NTV introduced three “ambiences” — Club, Prima and Smart — totalling 450 seats, with strong emphasis on Wi‑Fi, onboard entertainment and accessible pricing.

The ETR 575 AGV fleet ultimately remained limited to 25 units, all entering service and maintained at the dedicated facility in Nola, near Naples. After overcoming a solvency crisis, NTV–Italo expanded its fleet using other train types, as described below.

ETR 675 (Pendolino Alstom)

The EVO belongs to Alstom’s Avelia family of high‑ and very‑high‑speed trains, offering 200–350 km/h, single or double deck, with or without tilting. Pendolino, originally from Fiat Ferroviaria and now part of Avelia Stream, is designed for fast curve running, though NTV’s version has no tilting, suited to routes like Turin–Milan–Verona–Venice.

The EVO (ETR 675) shares much with the ETR 600/610: seven cars, 187 m length, paired operation, and similar technical architecture. It has a redesigned nose meeting TSI 2014 crash rules, new aerodynamic tests, and extra Smart seats thanks to removing cab doors. Three cars are powered, giving 5,600 kW under 25 kV AC or 3 kV DC, with Schunk pantographs on cars 4 and 5.

Built in Le Creusot and Savigliano, all 26 units were delivered by 2021. The train seats 476 passengers across three ambiances: Club (19 seats), Prima (123+2 reduced‑mobility seats), and Smart (332). NTV removed the bar to maximise capacity, using vending machines instead. Interiors feature ruby‑red tones, leather seats and USB ports.

Launched in December 2017, the EVO fleet enabled more services, reaching 90 trains/day in 2018, and allowed NTV to reorganise operations: EVOs on 250 km/h routes such as Naples–Rome–Verona–Venice, and AGV 575s on the 300 km/h Salerno–Milan–Turin axis. Around 160 staff, including 45 drivers, were added to support the expanded network.

The maintenance centre at Nola

The main maintenance centre for the ETR 575 and ETR 675 trains is located in Nola, near Naples, on a former tobacco field, which has now become a major logistics hub in Campania. This site, built by Alstom, covers an area of 140,000 m², of which 35,000 m² is covered and 55,000 m² is equipped with railway tracks.

It has been operational since July 2011 and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Around 200 Alstom employees work there, assisted by 15 NTV operators. The centre is equipped with advanced technologies, such as a pit-type lathe, ultrasonic diagnostic facilities for wheels, and equipment for washing and disinfecting toilets.

In order to improve its financial position, NTV restructured its maintenance. In 2015, the assets relating to the site were transferred to a dedicated company, Manutenzione & Servizi Ferroviari, prior to its sale to Alstom. The sale of this company to Alstom, for €135 million, also enabled NTV to realise an additional gain and release certain provisions. In total, the transaction is estimated to have provided around €60 million in support for the company’s accounts at a critical juncture in its debt restructuring.

At the same time, Alstom strengthened its industrial role by providing maintenance for Italo’s trains and securing new contracts with NTV. Consequently, NTV exercised options set out in the previous agreement to, on the one hand, order four additional Pendolino trains and, on the other, extend the maintenance of the Pendolino fleet from 20 to 30 years.

Operations
Each Italo train operates approximately 1,600 to 1,700 km per day, compared with a planned mission profile of 1,848 km. All trains are connected to the maintenance facility through TrainTracer via GSM networks and onboard TCMS software, enabling continuous monitoring and real-time transmission of diagnostic data. This system allows operators to identify potential failures or technical issues before the train returns to the depot. As a result, spare parts can be prepared in advance and maintenance teams can intervene immediately upon arrival, significantly reducing train downtime and improving fleet availability.

Each AGV 575 undergoes an “ES 7500” maintenance cycle every 7,500 km, combining cleaning, preventive checks and corrective work based on remotely downloaded diagnostics. With average daily mileage, each train returns to the Nola depot every four to five days. The process begins with an empty transfer run from Naples or Salerno, after which Alstom staff take charge. The first step is the external wash, a 15‑minute procedure using demineralised water and high‑pressure soap jets, with an intermediate stop to change pantograph position.

Around 2,000 litres of water are used per wash, 80% of which is recycled. The next phase is toilet servicing: ten connectors allow simultaneous emptying of waste tanks, followed by cleaning and refilling with fresh water.

The train is then moved inside the workshop, where elevated tracks provide full access to the underframe and roof. Safety procedures include visible warning signs and worker identification badges, while a board displays ongoing maintenance tasks.

Mechanical, component and interior repairs follow. Damage from vandalism or misuse—such as torn leather seats or broken armrests—is common, as are weather‑related issues like shattered windows caused by ice impacts. These interventions are covered by an Alstom–NTV agreement based on a per‑kilometre contribution. The ES 7500 requires between four and sixteen hours depending on technical needs, with additional checks at 30,000, 60,000 and 90,000 km. Most activity occurs in the afternoon and overnight to ensure early‑morning departures.

Trains not returning to Nola receive basic servicing at facilities in Rome, Milan, Venice, Turin and, more recently, Bologna. Wheel turning is scheduled at 360,000 km, ultrasonic axle testing at 375,000 km, and axle replacement at 1.5 million km. Pantograph carbon and copper strips are replaced at 60,000 km (3 kV DC) or 220,000 km (25 kV AC). Interior cleaning includes specialised steam treatment for carpets. In case of major faults, AGV movements rely on a Zephir shunter or G2000 diesel locomotives positioned across Italy.

2026 – New livery

On 13 January 2026, Italo introduced its new livery, with the first train — AGV 575 no. 25. The design features a lighter red than the original 2012 scheme, complemented by a gold band running along the entire side, with gold lettering and logos. All AGV 575 and ETR 675 trainsets will receive this new livery over the coming years, while the new trains ordered by NTV‑Italo from Alstom will be delivered directly in the updated colours.

Operation in Germany

The big surprise of 2025–2026. While many assumed that only Trenitalia was eyeing the German market, reality turned out quite different when the CEO Gianbattista La Rocca, plans to launch high-speed services in Germany by 2028, backed by a EUR 3.6 billion investment. The strategy hinges on utilizing 30 Siemens high-speed trains to serve two major routes: Munich–Berlin–Hamburg and Munich–Cologne–Dortmund.

NTV‑Italo’s decision to opt for proven rolling stock would allow for a rapid entry into service on this German project, which remains strictly domestic. NTV‑Italo does not currently appear to be planning any connection between its two networks — for example with a service between Munich and Verona.

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