Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori

Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (Italian: New Travellers Transport) is an Italian train operating company. Commencing services in early 2012, it became Europe's first private open access operator of 300 km/h (190 mph) high-speed trains, under the brand name Italo, stylized as .italo.[4]

Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori
TypeJoint-stock company
IndustryRail transport
Founded11 December 2006
Headquarters
Rome
,
Italy
Key people
Luca Cordero di Montezemolo (founder and Chairman) [1]
Flavio Cattaneo (CEO)
ProductsPassenger transport
Revenue €369 million[2] (2016)
€96 million[2] (2016)
€28 million[2] (2016)
Total assets €905 million (2013)
Number of employees
1,074 (2013)
ParentGlobal Infrastructure Partners
Websitewww.ntvspa.it
Footnotes / references
[3]

NTV was created in 2006 as a privately-owned high speed rail operator. In January 2008, the company ordered 25 Alstom Automotrice à grande vitesse (AGV) trainsets, which formed NTV's initial fleet. Despite intentions to begin services in late 2011, the launch of passenger operations were postponed to April 2012 due to lengthy certification processes. On 28 April 2012, NTV conducted its first service. In its first year of operation, 2 million passengers used NTV's trains. By 2016, annual ridership reached 11 million,[5] taking market share from competing airlines and state-owned incumbent Trenitalia. Further trainsets of Alstom's Pendolino family have also been procured, as well as coordination with bus operators, as measures to expand NTV's service coverage.

The headquarters of NTV is located in Rome. Since April 2018, the company is majority owned by the infrastructure equity investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners.[6] As of October 2019, the company operates an average of 98 services per day, covering 30 stations in 25 cities. NTV currently operates only within Italy, but has ambitions to launch future services elsewhere in Europe, including Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom.

History

Background

NTV was created in 2006 by four Italian businessmen (among them Luca Cordero di Montezemolo) with the aim of creating a privately-owned high speed rail operator to compete with state-owned incumbent Trenitalia.[7] The company was launched with an initial investment of €967 million, €625 million of which was spent on rolling stock.[8] NTV’s shareholders took on a significant risk in their startup as Italy was the first country in the world to open its high speed rail market to competition.[9]

During early 2010, NTV stated its intention to start services in late 2011, following certification of its trains in mid-2011.[10] In March 2011, the company publicly complained that the Italian rail infrastructure manager, Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), was obstructing its plans to run trains by making last-minute changes to network statements, as well as questioning the legality of its access charges. RFI is controlled by the same government group that controls Trenitalia, the incumbent provider of passenger train services in Italy.[11] Later that year, it was reported that the launch date had been delayed into 2012; this was reportedly due to the project's complexity.[12]

According to industry consultant Andrea Giuricin, NTV found it difficult to obtain technical approval and safety licences to operate its new fleet of Alstom-built Automotrice à grande vitesse (AGV) trains; Giuricin also acknowledged the establishment process as being quite complex in general.[9] Italy needed to refine its regulatory structures so that private rail operators could achieve a level playing field.[8] Disputes over access to both station facilities and train paths were symptomatic of NTV's early years.[8] In October 2013, the Italian Competition Authority determined that both Trenitalia and RFI had made deliberate efforts to exclude NTV. A suitable independent regulator of the Italian rail industry was not established until late 2013.[8]

Launch
Routes of NTV

On 28 April 2012, NTV conducted its first service, which it launched under the .italo brand.[13][14] This branding has been applied to other services provided by the company, such as its loyalty card.[8] In its first year of operation, NTV claimed its ridership to have been 2,051,702.[15]

According to rail periodical Railway Gazette, NTV was initially challenged to achieve a viable return on investment until passenger numbers increased.[9] Ridership increased in the following years, carrying 9.1 million passengers in 2015, having attained a load factor of 71.5%. By this point, NTV was operating 56 trains daily.[16] During 2015, NTV then-CEO Flavio Cattaneo launched a strategic turnround initiative, aimed at improving its operations.[9] In 2016, passenger numbers increased again, reaching 11 million.[5] To expand accessibility to its services, NTV has coordinated with bus operators to expand its catchment area to cover towns not directly served by high speed rail.[9]

That same year, NTV attained its fiscal break-even point for the first time, becoming profitable thereafter.[8] According to Giuricin, NTV quickly became a profitable venture largely due to an efficient and innovative approach to the market; such measures include a high utilisation rate of its rolling stock, typically high load factors for services, and customer engagement efforts. Partially in response to NTV's presence, incumbent operator Trenitalia has also made changes to increase competitiveness.[9] In August 2018, RFI was fined €620,000 for anti-competitive practices favouring Trenitalia over NTV.[17]

In January 2018, it was announced 35-40% of NTV's shares would be listed on the Borsa Italiana.[18] However, in February 2018, the planned initial public offering was cancelled; instead, NTV's shareholders accepted the take-over offer from Global Infrastructure Partners for 100% of the company, which was then valued at €1.94 billion.[19][20][21][22] Dealing April 2018, the sale was finalised; several of the existing shareholders chose to participate in a capital increase for a joint shareholding of 7.74%.[23] That same year, the company was renamed Italo-NTV, which integrated the .italo brand present on its rolling stock.[9]

NTV lounge at Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station

Italian ticket prices have fallen considerably since NTV's commencement of services in 2012; by 2019, the company had achieved a lower cost per available seat-km that most budget airlines, helping the company take market share from competing air routes.[9] Just as NTV's customer numbers grew rapidly in its initial five years, Italian demand for high speed rail travel in general has doubled in the same time period.[9] Specifically, rail operators' market share of the Rome – Milan route has increased from 36% in 2008 to an estimated 80% in 2018, while airline’s share has dropped from 50% to just 14% between the same dates.[8]

By the late 2010s, NTV was considering launching services outside of Italy; Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the company's chairman, has stated that possibly future markets for the firm include Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom.[8] According to Giuricin, the future of such ambitions on the part of NTV and other private operators is dependent upon the establishment of an appropriate, stable, and clear regulatory environment, particularly in regards to track access charges.[8]

Rolling stock
Alstom AGV trainset

On 17 January 2008, it was announced by French industrial conglomerate Alstom that NTV had placed an order for 25 Automotrice à grande vitesse (AGV) trainsets, each having a length of 11 cars.[24] Alstom manufactured 17 AGVs at its La Rochelle plant in France, while the remaining eight trains were assembled at Savigliano in Italy.[25] The contract included maintenance of the fleet for 30 years, as well as an option to procure a further ten trains.[26] NTV unveiled the first of its trains in a ceremony on 13 December 2011.[27]

In 2015, NTV announced the procurement of eight additional trains to expand its fleet.[9] These additional units would be from Alstom's Pendolino family, the maximum speed of which being approximately 50 km/h slower than NTV's existing AGVs. The procurement is intended to allow NTV to expand its existing Italo services, as well as offer services to new destinations.[28] On 3 October 2013, the first of NTV's Pendolino was publicly presented at the Expo Ferroviaria exhibition in Milan, by which point the trainset was participating in certification trials ahead of entering passenger service.[29] Further Pendolinos were ordered by NTV; as of October 2019, the company operates a fleet of 25 AGVs and 17 non-tilting Pendolinos.[9]

Club class private seat.
Prima class.
Smart class multifunctional area.

Service

Italo offers four classes of service, which it refers to as "journey ambiances".[8] Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the train.[30]

  • Smart: the lowest class of service, with 2x2 leather seats with table and airline style, and snacks for purchase from vending machines.
  • Comfort: this class has 2x1 seating primarily in airline style, with footrests.
  • Prima: also offers 2x1 seating with soft armrests, power sockets, reading lights, glove compartments, complimentary drinks and sweets, and snacks for purchase from vending machines.
  • Club Executive: the most expensive class, with only 19 seats per train. These are available in either 2x1 open seating or two compartments (styled "lounges") which can be reserved en bloc for up to 4 passengers. Complimentary coffee, beverages, and pastries are served.

The company also offers customers a loyalty card. This card has three tiers: Ambassador, Supporter and Friend (denoting the frequency of travel). Furthermore, in addition to reward points, the card records various metrics, such as disruptions and complaints, in a personal profile.[8]

Routes

Routes served by NTV are those of the Italian high-speed rail network.[31] As of October 2019, the company currently operates an average of 98 services per day, covering 30 stations in 25 cities.[9] As of 2019, Italo was achieving a roughly 35% market share on these routes.[8]

Italo’s High Speed train service contains four lines:[32]

In Rome, Venice, Naples and Turin there are two station options: Termini and Tiburtina stations in Rome, Mestre and Santa Lucia in Venice, Porta Nuova and Porta Susa in Turin, Centrale and Afragola in Naples, whereas in Milan there are three station options: Centrale, Porta Garibaldi and Rogoredo.

Major shareholders

The French railway operator SNCF owned 20% until 2015 when it refused to participate in a capital increase and preferred to liquidate its shareholding in 2015.[34][35]

See also

References
  1. "Bilancio di esercizio 2010" (PDF). Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  2. "Highlights finanziari - NTV, Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori". www.ntvspa.it (in Italian). Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  3. "Bilancio 2012" (PDF). ntvspa.it. Ntv. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  4. Murray Hughes (1 September 2008). "NTV targets 20% market share by 2015". Railway Gazette International.
  5. "Buon compleanno Italo! 5 anni fa Italo partiva per il suo primo viaggio". www.ntvspa.it (in Italian). Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  6. "The closing of the sale of Italo shares to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP)". italospa.italotreno.it. Italo – Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  7. Murray Hughes (1 March 2007). "Open access high speed bid". Railway Gazette International. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2009.
  8. Barrow, Keith (2 May 2019). "Exporting the Italian recipe for high-speed success". Rail Journal.
  9. Giuricin, Andrea (16 October 2019). "Transformation at Italo-NTV". Railway Gazette.
  10. "AGV begins Italian test programme". Railway Gazette International. 12 January 2010.
  11. "NTV brands RFI access changes 'illegal'". Railway Gazette. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  12. "Italie : la compagnie privée NTV retarde son lancement à 2012 (Italy: private company NTV delays launch to 2012)". Ville, rails et transports. 27 October 2011.
  13. "Debut for Italo: kick off of the most modern train in Europe on April 28". Press Release, Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori. 30 March 2012. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012.
  14. "Alta velocità e concorrenza: parte la sfida". il Sole 24 Ore. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  15. "Italo supera il muro dei 2 milioni di passeggeri nel 2012". ntvspa.it. 7 January 2013. Archived from the original on 30 March 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  16. Articolo su Italiaoggi.it
  17. Chiandoni, Marco (8 August 2018). "RFI fined for discrimination in planning for 360km/h operation". Rail Journal.
  18. Iitalo-NTV to list shares on Italian stock market International Railway Journal 24 January 2018.
  19. "Italo-NTV accepts €1.9bn offer from US fund". International Railway Journal. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  20. "Communication to the market" (PDF). 5 February 2018.
  21. "Global Infrastructure Partners III makes €1.9bn bid for Italo." Railway Gazette International 7 February 2018.
  22. "High speed operator accepts takeover bid." Railway Gazette International 8 February 2018.
  23. "The closing of the sale of Italo shares to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP)". italospa.italotreno.it. Italo – Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  24. "NTV, the first Italian private railway operator, chooses Alstom for the supply and maintenance of 25 AGV trains" (Press release). Alstom. 17 January 2008.
  25. "NTV unveils Italian AGV livery". Railway Gazette International. 17 July 2008.
  26. "The AGV reaches 300 km/h during the first test phase on Italian network". Alstom. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  27. "Railway Gazette: NTV unveils first Italo AGV". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  28. "Railway Gazette: Open access operator NTV to order Pendolinos". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  29. Briginshaw, David (3 October 2017). "First Alstom Evo train for NTV unveiled in Milan". Rail Journal.
  30. http://www.italotreno.it/en/the-train
  31. "Il nostro network". www.ntvspa.it (in Italian). Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  32. "Connections". Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV).
  33. "Allianz acquires stake in Italo-NTV". International Railway Journal. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  34. "Les TGV italiens Italo rachetés par les américains". lesechos.fr (in French). Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  35. "La SNCF descend d'Italo, le TGV privé italien". lesechos.fr (in French). Retrieved 25 March 2019.

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