Trenitalia SpA, Italy’s national railway operator, has awarded CAF Italia the ‘preventative and corrective’ maintenance contract for its fleet of 59 high-speed ETR500 trains, called Frecciarossa’ (Red Arrow).

The basic contract is worth about 120 million euros over six years, with the option of a six-year extension.

The ETR500 trains, which are part of Trenitalia’s long-haul division, operate on the high-speed Turin-Milan-Salerno line and can reach speeds up to 300kph (190mph).

They link the cities of Turin, Milan, Reggio Emilia, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples and Salerno, and they connect with services to Padua, Venice, Rimini, Ancona, Pescara, Foggia and Bari.

The maintenance activities covered by this contract will mainly be carried out in Trenitalia workshops, which provide high-speed servicing in Naples and Milan, as well as the operator’s facilities in Venice and Rome.

In addition to maintenance, the contract also covers technical support (both on-track and at the main stations) for the high-speed units.

It will require over 300 new people, who will join CAF Italia’s workforce (www.caf.net).