Milan, 26 August (LaPresse) – “Railways are a crucial piece of infrastructure, fundamental to a country’s growth.” These are the words of Gianpiero Strisciuglio, the new chief executive and general manager of FS, in an interview with *Corriere della Sera*, in which he noted that the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) has enabled FS to spend 25 billion on infrastructure and trains, “meeting all deadlines and timelines”. “And, above all, viewing the end of the PNRR as a fresh start,” said the chief executive. On the subject of appointments, Strisciuglio says: “We will finalise the process in the autumn and we’ll see. Not least because we will have to align appointments with the FS Group’s business plan, and those companies are strategic for achieving the plan’s objectives, which will focus on the core business – namely, enabling ever more efficient and effective passenger and freight transport. Capable of generating value.” “Today, the challenge – the real transformation we have embarked upon – is to ensure that those who use our services begin to see the benefits of all the work carried out across the nearly 25,000 kilometres of operational lines: an improvement in the quality of service,” he says. He continues: “The transformation lies precisely in the transition we are experiencing today. In recent years, there has been significant investment in new infrastructure, new technologies, new trains, maintenance and digitalisation. These were necessary investments and, in many cases, not immediately apparent to passengers. The challenge now is to turn those investments into benefits for passengers.” “Let’s take punctuality, for example – a fundamental aspect of the service – but punctuality doesn’t happen by itself. It is the result of complex management that brings together a more modern network, more effective maintenance, technologies focused on the core business that enable us to prevent breakdowns and critical issues, better planning of works, a stronger ability to coordinate all the components and expertise of the various companies within the rail system… and I could go on,” he continues. “In practical terms, the Brescia–Verona–Padua line forms part of the European corridor linking the Iberian Peninsula to Eastern Europe, which will gradually lead to the separation of high-speed and regional networks. This regional network, incidentally, across the whole of Italy, can rely on a fleet that is the youngest in Europe, with an average age of between 5 and 10 years,” he says. As for the South, he emphasises that “the challenge there is clear. Transport must strengthen the competitiveness of local areas and support businesses. Development.”
Fs, in Strisciuglio: “Railways are key to growth; group appointments to be made in the autumn”
Milan, 26 August (LaPresse) – “Railways are a crucial piece of infrastructure, fundamental to a country’s growth.” These are the words of Gianpiero Strisciuglio, the new chief executive and general manager of FS, in an interview with *Corriere della Sera*, in which he noted that the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) has enabled FS to spend 25 billion on infrastructure and trains, “meeting all deadlines and timelines”. “And, above all, viewing the end of the PNRR as a fresh start,” said the chief executive. On the subject of appointments, Strisciuglio says: “We will finalise the process in the autumn and we’ll see. Not least because we will have to align appointments with the FS Group’s business plan, and those companies are strategic for achieving the plan’s objectives, which will focus on the core business – namely, enabling ever more efficient and effective passenger and freight transport. Capable of generating value.” “Today, the challenge – the real transformation we have embarked upon – is to ensure that those who use our services begin to see the benefits of all the work carried out across the nearly 25,000 kilometres of operational lines: an improvement in the quality of service,” he says. He continues: “The transformation lies precisely in the transition we are experiencing today. In recent years, there has been significant investment in new infrastructure, new technologies, new trains, maintenance and digitalisation. These were necessary investments and, in many cases, not immediately apparent to passengers. The challenge now is to turn those investments into benefits for passengers.” “Let’s take punctuality, for example – a fundamental aspect of the service – but punctuality doesn’t happen by itself. It is the result of complex management that brings together a more modern network, more effective maintenance, technologies focused on the core business that enable us to prevent breakdowns and critical issues, better planning of works, a stronger ability to coordinate all the components and expertise of the various companies within the rail system… and I could go on,” he continues. “In practical terms, the Brescia–Verona–Padua line forms part of the European corridor linking the Iberian Peninsula to Eastern Europe, which will gradually lead to the separation of high-speed and regional networks. This regional network, incidentally, across the whole of Italy, can rely on a fleet that is the youngest in Europe, with an average age of between 5 and 10 years,” he says. As for the South, he emphasises that “the challenge there is clear. Transport must strengthen the competitiveness of local areas and support businesses. Development.”