Trenitalia

Trenitalia SpA is the primary train operator of Italy, which was established in 2000. A subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, itself owned by the Italian government, it was established following a European Union directive on the deregulation of rail transport. The company operates both regional and long-distance trains. It also operates or operated in the past through ownerships, subsidiary companies, or partnerships in France, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Among the company's high-speed train are Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca, InterCity, and InterCity Notte. In 2024, Trenitalia was recognized as the best rail passenger operator in Europe.

==History== thumb|Headquarters of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane in [[Rome]] The Italian government formed Trenitalia as a società per azioni (SpA) to comply with European Union regulations. The European Commission's First Railway Directive from 1991 (91/440/EC) required separation of accounting between entities which manage the rail infrastructure and entities which provide the actual rail transportation. On 1 June 2000, Italy created Trenitalia as the primary rail transportation company, and on 1 July 2001 established Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) as the company overseeing the rail network; however, the separation was only formal since both are subsidiaries of the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane holding and are owned wholly by the government. Trenitalia operated freight rail services under the Trenitalia Cargo brand until 2017, when Mercitalia took over state-owned freight rail and logistics operations.