Avoid Making This Mistake When Traveling on Italy’s 'New Pendolino' High-Speed Train

[@dsdonovan]

Bonus points for use of the word "bamboozled."

[@TFTSB]

Oh wow I'm early! For all the issues, those standard class leather seats look surprisingly nice!

[@TRANSPORTEXCELLENCE2011]

Nice review!This channel deserves at least 500K subscribers

[@Simon-Andersen]

Wow, thanks! Im glad you enjoy my videos :D

[@dorianbuciza4101]

@@Simon-AndersenHello 😊🤚 I’m from Albania but I live in USA 🇺🇸, did you have any information about the new train that will come in Albania ? I don’t know yet how will look alike.

[@ilgattooo]

I think Trenitalia is not buying any pendolinos again for the same reason. Space for passengers is limited due to smaller cabin needed for the tilting system, they cost more and the time they save in slow lines is less then the time they lose in high speed line due to limited maximum speed (250 km/h instead of 300 )

[@melaniedrogr951]

Ironically the florence to rome high speed line only allows 250 km/h, as long as it is still electrified with 3kV DC. But yeah, i agree, it is better to focus on good connectivity between high speed trains doing services that are mostly on high speed lines, and good regional trains that take you further inland. (and a good customer service in case of missed connections/good frequency so that you are less afraid of missing them).

[@JBS319]

Sooooooooooooooo...Italy is phasing out the Frecciargento brand and merging it into Frecciarossa. Your train is a former Frecciargento with the same interior that it had previously.

[@PassioneSuRotaie]

Exactly

[@Simon-Andersen]

Maybe it's time for an interior upgrade then to match the high standards of the other Frecciarossa trains then :P

[@the_oreo_whale]

I travelled on this very same train a few days ago, honestly i had basically the same thoughts as you, looks stunning on the outsides, functions just fine on the inside.

[@harrisonhschan]

Wow, very early today the video for once! The train looks modern in the carriage despite their age. Also props to having leather seats in standard, definitely feels cleaner than the cloth seats that many trains have in Standard…

[@Lorika8810]

Fantastic and much needed review! Thanks!

[@SpotterCrazyperson]

Great video!

[@Simon-Andersen]

Thank you :D

[@DS.J]

Thanks for the review. The "business class" seats actually have double armrest in the middle. So even if seats are identical to 2nd class (are they?), it's still some extra comfort. Also, obviously it's 1+2 layout which to me, as a solo traveler (usually), it is VERY important. Also, a bit surprised about the average speed of of only 108 km/h. Even if ignoring Napoli-Roma section, the train should still be having higher average speed than that.

[@iuciubbb]

Lots of speed restrictions due to the upgrading works.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Yeah, you still get the 1+2 layout, which is good, but the seat design is basically the same as the second class one, with minor modifications like an additional armrest. It’s not a bad product per se, but once again, it’s just very disappointing when, on Trenitalia's other Frecciarossa trains, you get a big upgrade with a much better seat in business class.

[@DS.J]

@@Simon-Andersen That's true. Frecciarossa 1000, including its "Executive class" are some of the most amazing trains anywhere in Europe, so I guess it's difficult for other trains to "compete" with that. It's very easy to get spoiled by good trains :)

[@mariadelmarjimenezarroyo]

Excellent video thanks for sharing

[@ninnobroggi]

I travelled on this Train type between Milano Centrale and Rimini, and it was a pleasant journey for me. I understand if you dislike this train, but I personally like this train type (Especially the Swiss version)

[@K2YU]

I find it interesting that the ETR 600 are being rebranded from Frecciagrento to Frecciarossa, while the almost similar ETR 610 are apparently going to be rebranded from Frecciagrento to a SBB-style EuroCity livery, but in green instead of red.

[@marekvahle]

Leaving one stop delayed by 9 minutes and arriving at the next one 8 minutes early is a crazy amount of padding!

[@Simon-Andersen]

What a single track line does to a italian railway planner!

[@dorianbuciza4101]

PENDOLINO IS SO BEAUTIFUL Only thing i hate is his tight space

[@Hahlen]

If you want something even sillier, Renfe has these for mid distance Avant services. But they’re standard gauge only, so they operate only on the high speed lines and don’t even have tilting capability installed

[@Simon-Andersen]

Poland also has some Pendolino trains that don’t tilt or run above 200 km/h :D

[@14luca95]

The reality is that the ETR600, while being a perfectly functional train, it starts to show its age. Also, when Trenitalia bought these trains they were not supposed to be Frecciarossa trains, they were in the middle between an Intercity and a Frecciarossa. Anyway, as much as I like the New Pendolino, it’s not the best high speed train, of course. Overall, I think they do a honest work on mixed services that use a bit of high speed line and normal lines.

[@jfmezei]

On level boarding: it would depend on platform height. But conventional bogies, it is more of a challenge to make it a lower floor throughout. This is especially true of a train with not only active tilting on conventional bogies, but some of the bogies on Pendolinos being traction ones as well.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Yes, indeed, it's a huge challenge, and I'm not sure we're even close to solving it with tilting and low-floor technology (well, Talgo-but the Avril is a disaster, so I'm not sure we have).

[@Giustiziappenanata]

It is Ex Frecciargento, so it was not Made for being a Frecciarossa, you should review the new versión of Frecciarossa 1000, they meshed it

[@patrgl]

Renfe's Serie 114! Renfe uses them on AVANT services though

[@Simon-Andersen]

Very common all over europe!

[@zamarco2]

However, for many high-speed routes, but not only, there is also the competitor Italo. If you are interested

[@Simon-Andersen]

I love Italo, i also tried them on this trip!

[@Nobody-jo3tv]

9:27 Early -8 never saw this in your vid. And how did you manage it to get 12 delay to the next station?

[@Simon-Andersen]

Just an Italian railways thing-it's a single-track line, so there's lots of padding, and one delayed train can make you lose it all again

[@Nobody-jo3tv]

@@Simon-Andersen ah, ok thx

[@Nobody-jo3tv]

@@Simon-Andersen lol. Poor Italy. I live in switzerland and there's only one single-track line on long-range traffic and that's inbetween Spiez and Thun - between a Lake and a Mountain :-)

[@polishstick0609]

I am rather sure that these ETR 600 are mostly similar to PKP IC's ED250 pendolinos. I travelled in 2nd class and it was actually great

[@paulthiel5145]

They are, but contrary to their Polish brothers, the tilting mechanism is actually working in these.

[@ABCantonese]

How do you see what train is being used for the service?

[@Simon-Andersen]

Its a bit difficult have a read here on the seat61 guide www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/frecciarossa.htm#which-type-of-frecciarossa

[@mnsegler]

I would ding this train on the placement of luggage areas. Unless luggage theft is a much smaller problem in Italy that other countries, I like my bags stored in numerous, large racks not far from my seat where I can keep an eye on them at stops. Like in the newer ICE models

[@zamarco2]

I have to agree with you that on the ETR 600 it is quite uncomfortable unlike the 1000 as the new Intercity trains are extremely uncomfortable,In both first and second class there is practically no difference except for the lack of legroom, however the seat is particularly narrow.You are like me a person a little wider you struggle to fit in. (Which did not happen to me only ETR 1000 in business But also in economy you are quite comfortable). Regarding delays of 1-2 minutes, in Italy we practically consider the train to be on time.

[@dreimalnein22]

7:05 to my knowledge the seat pitch is wider in 2nd-premium.

[@Simon-Andersen]

I'm actually not sure on this! Its hard to tell on the video - but it could be the case

[@dreimalnein22]

@Simon-Andersen I asked when I bought my ticket, thats what they told me in the trainstation.

[@simpedia1225]

1:10 why are there so many lights in the hall of the station AHSHASH

[@GIUSEPPE2245]

2:33 Top speed ain't 250 kph... is 400. 250 is used only in the track from Rome to Florence (cause it's the first high speed rail, and the oldest), and 300kph from Rome to Naples, and 300 kph from Florence / Bologna / Milan. Due to "Safety concerns" AKA "We are corrupted morons, and we do not trust our infrastcuture" the train is kept at a "safe" top speed of 300. But 400kph is 100% duable, mainly because there is literally the video on yt of freccia during testing archieving 400 kph...

[@Simon-Andersen]

No, it's not. The ETR600 has been tested at 280 km/h, nowhere near 400 km/h, and is limited in service to 250 km/h, which is the speed relevant to most people. You're probably thinking of the ETR400, which has reached 400 km/h-but that's a different train

[@daviano_R.T.]

​@@Simon-Andersen yup, and even if the train can reach 400km/h, there's no way run at that speed on passenger service because the infrastructure only certified running at 300km/h maximum on passenger service😅 even China that operate 350km/h train and Japan that planning to run passenger service at 360km/h wouldn't risk to run fully speed on just compacted ballast train for their HST😅

[@albertomartignoni712]

new? it's twenty years old

[@Simon-Andersen]

The train design platform is called "New Pendolino" - it's not about the train's age but its name :-)

[@krullenbos94]

I still find it hilarious that the regional train in Italy will become the Dutch high speed train. They also look ugly as well I think. But also the fact that the Dutch is just too small and also too cheap to buy actual high speed trains.

[@jfmezei]

The Dutch were eaarly adopter of in-cab signalling after a terrible accident in the 1950s (IIRC). But that system which gives a train its maximum speed has speed levels that top at 140kmh. I think there was some upgrade for some lines with higher speed, and there is the high speed lines that have ETCS that allow full speed. So if your signaling is limited to 140, no point in paying for speed capabilities you won't use.

[@dodaz2049]

Italy has always been avant-garde and more modern, leading in transport.

[@Simon-Andersen]

The Dutch railway network is drastically different-cities are close to each other, and stops are frequent. Regional trains are much better at accelerating and making quick stops, which becomes much more important for short journey times when there are many stops. High-speed trains like this are basically the opposite; they take a long time to accelerate, but once at speed, they can make up time quickly.

[@lws7394]

​@@jfmezei Ad to that that the soil in NL has limitations. Most of the mainlines go over clay soil or even worse marsland/turf soil ('veen') . When running over ' veen' at speeds over 140 kmh the soil becomes like gelatine. You don't want that. To lay a stable track floor bed you need to hammer poles deep into soil .. Even at higher speed sections the weight and speed lead to problems ...

[@Michaelgoestofrance]

Seats without windows are a bugbear of mine, too. Really horrible to get stuck at one during a long journey. The ETR500s are now competing with SNCF's TGV Duplex between Lyon (my home town) and Paris. I'm looking forward to trying one on my next trip - they look like a great hard product.

[@paulthiel5145]

They are a fantastic product, especially in Executive class. Best train experience in Europe in my humble opinion.

[@ferru4003]

There are no ETR500 in France. On Lyon-Paris you can only find ETR 1000.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Yes indeed they are great trains! Just a tiny correction, its the ETR400/ETR1000 that go to France, but both them and the ETR500 are excellent and very well designed trains :D

[@Spotless-guy]

U took the only bad frecciarossa :(

[@Simon-Andersen]

I love the 400 and 500 tho :D

[@raymurphyii]

I have never understood why trains in the EU have so many seats that face each other over a table rather than airline style seats. There's no way two adults sitting across from each other, even in any premium class configutation, will ever have enough leg room without banging knees with the person opposite them. Will someone explain the reasoning for this to me? Many thanks!

[@paulthiel5145]

Specifically for groups (often with children) traveling together.

[@trainspotting_by_samu6094]

in short it is the best high speed train in Italy

[@Simon-Andersen]

I think the ETR400 is better :D

[@Letsgobyland]

aaah that window seat without without! The woooorst!

[@zerogeewhiz]

Bari Centrale is a mess. There’s no indication of the direction of travel so people (okay, me) rush around trying to work out where my carriage is. So that’s fun

[@giumas1693]

Meh! I know Bari Centrale, it's full of indications in Italian and English and pictograms, so it's not the station that's a mess but the people who don't know how to use them.

[@zerogeewhiz]

@ ah yes. It is the children who are wrong.

[@michaelhall8586]

Trains just the way mama made them

[@jackpubbo]

4:40 on my life your pronouncing the places like they are French

[@Simon-Andersen]

That's fun, because I don't speak a word of French haha - I'm Danish and suck at pronouncing things, so it's basically a comedy aspect of my videos.

[@mdhazeldine]

The journey time seems very slow, and flying would be faster, but you can't argue with that price! Wow, so cheap compared to the UK. And good to hear the new HSR line will be completed by 2028. Cutting off 2hrs will make a massive difference. As for the train.....I think it looks nice. You'd probably have had a much better time in an airline style seat. TLDR: Take care when booking!

[@eljanrimsa5843]

He mentioned that he did book an airline style seat, but the online booking graphics was not showing the real configuration

[@vjet]

Wise idea not paying extra for premium or business. I think you’d feel even more disappointed.

[@Queerz4Palestein]

THANKS. I'LL SKIP ITALY

[@dodaz2049]

We don't want you here. Bye bye !

[@Simon-Andersen]

Italy is great, try one of their other trains :D

[@ABCantonese]

This is Italy, they could've built the flyovers to be just like the aquaducts! Would've blended right in and matched the Roman architecture!

[@dodaz2049]

Nah we have enough space

[@ajfrostx]

Comfort levels seem to be on part with the British Pendolinos. that is to say - not great.

[@Simon-Andersen]

I just took a Pendolino in the UK, actually, and I agree-they seem very similar. Not terrible, but far from greatness as well.

[@Nobody-jo3tv]

3:41 when zooming in you have to zoom the country names too...

[@jfmezei]

On lack of legroom, you can always go to a doctor and ask him to shorten your danish legs 🙂 Attended a UIC webinar on luggage recently and they provided some statts. The UIC recommended minimum standard for coach is a seat pitch of 94cm (37 US inches). (for first class it is 101cm). uic org events IMG pdf 20241004_cemp_workshop_bikesluggage_all dot pdf (ignore the alpaccas, it was a joke during presentation during polling of participants).

[@Simon-Andersen]

Not sure how the ETR600 compares with what UIC says, but it's not an issue on the other Frecciarossas I've tried, so that's why it was a bit disappointing