Italy has officially adopted its first Documento Strategico Pluriennale della Mobilità Ferroviaria (DSPM), a 10-year blueprint that will steer every major investment and policy decision on the national rail network until 2036. Published in the 13 November 2026 edition of the Gazzetta Ufficiale, the ministerial decree transforms what had been a planning document into a binding strategic framework. The DSPM now becomes the reference point for the multibillion-euro programme contracts signed between the Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport and the infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana. The plan sets out three headline priorities: closing remaining capacity gaps on the high-speed passenger backbone, upgrading conventional lines on key freight corridors such as the Brenner and Mediterranean axes, and digitising signalling with ERTMS to allow more trains on existing track. It also earmarks funds for 800 km of new regional lines and 250 modernised stations aimed at encouraging a shift from private cars to rail commuting. For Italian companies, the document offers predictability. Logistics operators can plan warehouse locations knowing where 750-m-long freight paths will be created, while rolling-stock manufacturers see a clear pipeline of tenders linked to electrification and ERTMS roll-out. The government argues the strategy will help Italy meet EU climate targets by cutting an estimated 3 million tonnes of CO₂ annually once fully implemented. Practically, business travellers should expect faster journey times on routes such as Milan–Genoa and Rome–Pescara where work was previously piecemeal. However, the decree also ties future service enhancements to strict funding milestones: regions that delay permitting or expropriation processes risk losing central grants. Multinationals moving staff across Italy are therefore advised to monitor regional implementation tables published every six months on the MIT transparency portal.
Source: Gazzetta Ufficiale
