Italy's high-speed-rail network may not be as well-known as those of France or Spain or Japan or China, but it is growing to impressive size.
Brescia - Verona high-speed line approved Construction should start late this year or early next year.
Italy got a surprisingly early start, earlier than France, with its 250-km/h "Direttissima" (very direct) line between Rome and Florence. It was opened in stages between 1977 and 1992 (Florence–Rome high-speed railway - Wikipedia). Italy did not build any more high-speed lines for a decade, but that nation then built several of them (High-speed rail in Italy - Wikipedia).
Currently, Italy has a north-south line that runs Milan - Bologna - Florence - Rome - Naples - Salerno, and a partially-built east-west line that runs Turin - Milan - Brescia and Padua - Venice. The Milan - Brescia line opened late last year, and the planned Brescia - Verona line will go further eastward toward Venice. No word on Verona - Padua, however, though that segment may be next. There are also upgraded Bologna - Verona and Bologna - Padua lines.
Brescia - Verona high-speed line approved Construction should start late this year or early next year.
Italy got a surprisingly early start, earlier than France, with its 250-km/h "Direttissima" (very direct) line between Rome and Florence. It was opened in stages between 1977 and 1992 (Florence–Rome high-speed railway - Wikipedia). Italy did not build any more high-speed lines for a decade, but that nation then built several of them (High-speed rail in Italy - Wikipedia).
Currently, Italy has a north-south line that runs Milan - Bologna - Florence - Rome - Naples - Salerno, and a partially-built east-west line that runs Turin - Milan - Brescia and Padua - Venice. The Milan - Brescia line opened late last year, and the planned Brescia - Verona line will go further eastward toward Venice. No word on Verona - Padua, however, though that segment may be next. There are also upgraded Bologna - Verona and Bologna - Padua lines.