FS Group Certares high-speed rail partnership plan

FS Group Certares high-speed rail partnership aims to bolster FS’s international high-speed passenger rail ambitions, starting with Trenitalia France.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The deal sets up a joint venture and invests in Trenitalia France, backing a €1 billion plan in France and the United Kingdom, as outlined in an FS Italiane press release.

What the FS Group Certares high-speed rail partnership covers?

At its core, the agreement is framed around accelerating Trenitalia France’s growth and reinforcing its presence in France, the UK, and cross-border markets. Alongside the operational push, the partners also describe a focus on commercial distribution and on positioning rail as an option for both business and leisure travel.

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Headquartered in Paris, Trenitalia France operates high-speed passenger rail services on the Paris–Lyon and Paris–Marseille routes, as well as the cross-border Paris–Milan route. The company says it has been serving more than 4.7 million passengers and delivers industry-leading customer satisfaction, as reported by Railway-News. It also plans to expand its network, including entry onto the Paris–London route and additional cross-border services.

Trenitalia France investment and growth targets

Trenitalia France says it will use the new capital to consolidate its position as France’s second-largest high-speed rail operator. The plan includes expanding the fleet to at least 19 trainsets and developing a new maintenance facility near Paris on a site recently awarded to the company.

The operator also intends to increase frequencies on existing routes, including up to 28 daily circulations on Paris–Lyon. In addition, the programme covers creating hundreds of new jobs, continuing investment in technology, brand, and marketing, and expanding international services to the UK through entry onto the Paris–London route by 2029, as previously covered by Railway Supply.

Distribution, rail tourism, and the France–UK focus

The partnership is expected to help accelerate the adoption of rail travel across Europe among corporate and leisure travellers. Trenitalia France plans to work with Certares’ portfolio companies to support corporate clients as they shift toward high-speed rail as a greener, reliable, and cost-effective alternative to air travel. It also points to practical features such as reliable Wi-Fi connectivity, city-centre-to-city-centre convenience, enhanced comfort, and the ability to work efficiently while travelling.

For leisure travel, Trenitalia France and Certares say they intend to promote rail-inclusive itineraries, integrate booking and dynamic packaging tools, and encourage millions of travellers to choose rail as their preferred mode of transport. Certares is also facilitating arm’s-length commercial agreements focused on product distribution between Trenitalia France and its portfolio companies.

In France and the UK, Certares has travel distribution investments in American Express Global Business Travel (including CWT, Ovation, and Egencia), Marietton Développement (including Havas Voyages and Selectour), Voyageurs du Monde (including Original Travel), and Internova Travel Group (including Barrhead Travel). These relationships are positioned to support product distribution arrangements linked to Trenitalia France services.

The deal aligns with the FS Group 2025–2029 Strategic Plan, which calls for accelerated international growth through collaboration with leading financial and industrial partners. It also supports the expansion of FS International, the division responsible for passenger operations outside Italy, which currently accounts for approximately €3 billion in net revenues and 12,000 employees.

By combining FS and Trenitalia France’s operational excellence with Certares’ global travel distribution network, the partners aim to position France, the Paris–London corridor, and future territories included in the joint venture as showcases for sustainable European travel, benefiting customers in France, the UK, and across Europe.

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