Italian long-distance train operator Italo, co-founded by former Ferrari CEO Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, plans to conquer the German market. At the same time, Flixtrain announces a significant expansion of its services. This sets the stage for a three-way battle on the rails: between Deutsche Bahn, Flixtrain, and Italo, as Spiegel reports.
Deutsche Bahn still holds over 90 percent of the long-distance market. The federal government officially wants more competition. When Flixtrain ordered up to 65 high-speed trains from Talgo last year, Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) praised it as a “strong signal for the rail market.” Schnieder has so far remained tight-lipped about Italo.
Flixtrain CEO André Schwämmlein told Spiegel: “We will double the size of our offering within the next two years, even before the new Talgo trains come into service.” The company plans to run trains more frequently and use longer trains. Flixtrain has been operating on selected routes since 2018, so far with limited frequency.
It remains unclear how the Federal Network Agency, as the competition watchdog, will shape the framework conditions – from allocating track capacity and setting track access charges to ticket sales and station usage. The competitors are already aggressively positioning themselves.
EuroPulse reported on May 22, 2026, about Waymo’s suspension of highway driving and robotaxi services during heavy rain (link).
Source: www.spiegel.de
