ABSTRACT
From Europe to the US and to Asia, governments and public-private partnership (PPP) entrepreneurs are investing in developing high-speed rail (HSR) networks. HSR is widely acknowledged to be a sustainable and efficient transportation mode for medium-haul intercity trips in the range of 400-800 km. Empirical evidence shows it is also attractive for trips as short as 150-200 km (Cascetta et al. 2013). In Italy major investments in HSR have been carried out in recent decades, resulting in a current network of approximately 1,300 km. The HSR service, begun in 2005 between Rome and Naples, now includes several city pairs. The level of service is expected to be further improved with the completion of new stations. The design has been to avoid urban penetration in dense areas, allowing trains to run at speeds up to 360 km/h.
