Italian rail operator partners with Uber
Italian rail operator Italo is partnering with Uber to offer passengers multimodal travel.
The new intermodal travel solution was launched at the Rome Termini train station on Wednesday, June 18.
Passengers can book shuttles and train tickets simultaneously through Italo’s partnership with Uber. Travellers departing or arriving at selected stations in Milan and Rome can book an Uber Black or Van via Italo’s Uber Reserve function any time between 90 days and one hour before their trip.
Thailand to launch new tourism train
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) expects to launch its new tourism train, the SRT Royal Blossom, in mid-August, following the completion of its trial run to Hua Hin on June 21.
SRT Chief of Public Relations, Ekarat Sriarayanphong, told nationthailand.comthat five of the 10 cars on the second-hand Hamanasu train had been refurbished, and the remaining five would be completed by the end of the year.
The train will operate a Bangkok-Kanchanaburi tourism route as part of a government policy to boost tourism in secondary provinces.
New sleeper train to the Alps
International night train operator European Sleeper is planning a new service from Brussels to Venice that will offer a connection to the Austrian and Italian Alps.
The operator is working towards launching the service between February and Easter in 2025 to attract ski enthusiasts.
The service will run from Brussels on Wednesdays and from Venice on Sundays. The train will arrive in the Austrian alpine town of Innsbruck after a 15-hour ride from Brussels. The entire trip from Brussels to Venice will take 20 hours.
Co-founder Elmer van Buuren said the cost of the tickets, which is yet to be announced, would be much more attractive than high-season airfares.
He added that European Sleeper also hoped to capitalise on the new trend towards slow, sustainable travel.