Trenitalia, the transport division of the Italian FS Group, and Amadeus have announced they have formed a partnership to distribute content through all Amadeus channels.

Travel agents around the world will be able to book both Trenitalia’s high speed rail products Frecce Alta Velocità (namely Frecciarossa and Frecciargento), and Frecciabianca through the existing sales channels and through the Amadeus global distribution system, which links 91,000 points of sale worldwide.

The rest of the medium and long-distance Trenitalia routes will follow shortly.

Thanks to this partnership, Trenitalia will be able to draw on new market segments while expanding distribution beyond its traditional channels, developing its presence in such strategic markets as Central Europe, North America and Asia.

This innovative solution will provide travel agencies with greater ease and flexibility when selecting and booking Trenitalia travel and, as a result, Trenitalia customers will be able to enjoy a more convenient booking and connection service that will satisfy the needs of modern travellers.

According to a recent Amadeus study, by 2020 high-speed rail will be the means most used for business and leisure travel within the confines of Europe, and global passengers will increase by 330 million.

In recent years, the number of passengers on Trenitalia’s AV high-speed service has grown exponentially, reaching 25 million in 2011.

Throughout Europe there has been an evolution in the train travel experience, and it is now recognised as a valid alternative to flying.

As part of the agreement, travel agents who use the Amadeus Selling Platform will have a standardised way to access Trenitalia services, in turn making bookings through an air/rail-based search solution, FlyByRail Track, and a rail-based search solution, Rail Agent Track; designed exclusively for rail services.

To this end, it will be far easier for travellers and travel agents to effectively compare Trenitalia services with flights on the same route, ensuring that travellers have greater choice and transparency of options whilst at the same time improving productivity for the agent.