Just as Railmarket News announced in August 2023, it is officially confirmed that MSC is buying a fifty per cent stake in Italian high-speed rail operator Italo - Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori S.p.A (Italo). The stake will be purchased from Global Infrastructure Partners, which will keep the company's remaining second half and have joint governance with Allianz Group entities and other co-investors.
MSC is entering an ecological passenger transportation market, as well as tourist transportation, as MSC Cruises is also a significant player in the cruises business. The appetite for growth on land is immense recently by MSC, which has recently also bought 50% shares in HHLA, as well as Renfe Mercancías.
Italo has existed as a private high-speed operator on the Italian market for eleven years. With 51 bullet trains, it transports over 20 million passengers per year and serves 51 cities across the Apennine peninsula. In May 2023, Italo also acquired Itabus, which has added 100 coaches to its fleet.
