"The commercial offer is based on several classes of service, to meet the requirements of our customers", summarizes the manager, who praises in particular the leather seats of his high-speed trains Frecciarossa (the red arrow).

"Our goal is to offer very good value for money", he underlines in perfect French.

For the most demanding, the Executive offers "ten leather armchairs which are very wide, reclining" and swiveling.

"And for customers of this class, there is the entire catering offer available, which is + open bar +", notes Mr. Rinaudo.

At 139 euros on Paris-Lyon, this offer from Trenitalia crushes the new "Business Première" of the SNCF, which for 3 euros more on this route only offers a first class seat with a light snack.

But SNCF tickets are much more flexible in this category.

And above all, the French company offers 22 round trips per day between the two cities, when Trenitalia starts with 2 daily rotations for the moment - which are in fact part of the international link Paris-Lyon-Chambéry-Modane-Turin- Milan.

"Our objective is to strengthen this offer with three additional round trips between Paris and Lyon," said the Managing Director of Trenitalia France in this regard.

"As soon as possible. Usually in the first half of 2022."

Trenitalia also offers a Business class, "which is comparable to first class", leather armchairs and "a snack offered to all travelers", says Mr. Rinaudo.

"Obviously there is great comfort with an Italian soul."

And to also praise the possibility of privatizing a meeting room, "which has 5 places, with a screen which is made available to work well" on board.

"strategic country"

Trenitalia trains include of course a Standard class, "which is comparable to the second class, with which we can travel at high speed in our trains at very attractive prices", notes the manager.

From 23 euros on Paris-Lyon.

Roberto Rinaudo promises wifi, a multimedia portal and a catering offer in his trains.

On the material side, Trenitalia is lining up Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed trains, manufactured by Hitachi, capable of traveling at 360 km / h but which will go at most at 300 km / h, like the TGV.

A Frecciarossa high speed train at the platform on the day of its launch on December 13, 2008 at Milan central station GIUSEPPE CACACE AFP / Archives

"There are also all the measures to guarantee the sanitation of the train: there is an air conditioning system which allows, every three minutes, to eliminate bacteria and viruses at 95%", assures Mr. Rinaudo.

"We are happy with the evolution of sales", opened only on Monday, he notes.

"France is the second market in Europe after Germany in terms of passenger volume, and for us it is a strategic country", he explains, while remaining silent on his objectives.

"Our objective is to be complementary to the current offer, to provide a commercial proposition that is attractive to travelers, to contribute to the ecological transition, and to encourage the development of the train in relation to the car and the airplane."

He gladly recalls that in Italy the arrival of a competitor - Italo, in which SNCF was originally a shareholder - boosted train ridership, which Trenitalia benefited from on arrival.

The Italian company has already operated in France, via its subsidiary Thello (which became Trenitalia France in October), a night train between Paris, Milan and Venice between 2011 and 2020, and a Marseille-Nice-Milan link from 2014 to 2021. It will not take them back, according to Mr. Rinaudo.

Trenitalia is interested in opening TERs to competition.

"We will assess the calls for tenders on a case-by-case basis," he said, after a first failure at Marseille-Nice in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region (a line whose operation was won by the Transdev operator).

But for now, "there is nothing concrete" about the opening of other lines after Paris-Lyon, according to him.

© 2021 AFP