October 2021: How Italy's high-speed trains helped kill Alitalia

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Hat tip, Streetsblog USA

How Italy's high-speed trains helped kill Alitalia

Julia Buckley, CNN • Updated 14th October 2021

(CNN) — Over a decade ago, when Francesco Galietti had to travel from his native Rome to Milan for work, he used to fly the nearly 400-mile route. Today, he takes the train.

Galietti -- CEO of Rome-based political risk consultancy Policy Sonar -- is not alone. Figures released in 2019 by Italy state railway company Ferrovie dello Stato show that the number of passengers taking the train on the country's main business route, between Rome and Milan, has almost quadrupled in a decade, from 1 million in 2008 to 3.6 million by 2018.

Over two thirds of people traveling between the two cities now takes the train. It's a remarkable endorsement of Italy's high-speed rail network, which debuted in 2008.

{snip}

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Last time I flew Alitalia, NYC to Milan, the plane looked ready to be retired.

This was more than 30 years ago, but there were exposed, frayed wires hanging in the passenger cabin and poor housekeeping in general.

Additionally, they put a lot of non-smoking passengers (myself included) into the smoking section. Plus, there were smoking passengers seated in the smoking section. There were a lot of disgruntled passengers on that plane.

Still, that's a shame that it's folding.

[MyOwnPeace]

4. NO! That is NOT a shame!

NOT looking for a 'fight' - but if you offer a 'service' that takes longer, costs more, and provide poor accommodations, you really SHOULD go out of business. The blacksmith that made the best horse-shoes in town was two doors down from the 'new' Ford dealership.

We DO need a level playing field for ALL transportation - who pays for airports - who pays for roads - who pays for the property and up-keep of the rail lines - who pays for the dams that allow river transportation?

Amazingly enough, I think we have a 'Transportation Secretary' (Pete Buttigieg!) that could actually sit down and answer EVERY ONE of those questions.

Public transportation is a serious issue here - we need some vision and long-range planning, starting with getting people to "LET GO OF THE STEERING WHEEL!" As gas prices go all over the place we could see people considering 'alternate' transportation - but it needs to meet their schedule and needs.

"And miles to go before 'we' sleep........"

[Layzeebeaver]

2. we taken the Italian trains a number of times

they are brilliant!

[DBoon]

3. about the same distance as Los Angeles to San Francisco

Yet that high speed rail plan suffers unending political obstruction