The European Commission authorised, on Wednesday 10 March, an Italian State aid of €511 million to compensate providers of commercial, long-distance rail passenger services for the damage suffered between 8 March and 30 June 2020 due to the Covid-19 outbreak and the restrictive measures that Italy had to implement.
For the Executive Vice-President for Competition Policy, Margrethe Vestager, competition in the high-speed segment in Italy has been key to develop services with more capacity, frequency and connections. This has led to lower prices and better quality for consumers, says the commission.
Between March and June 2020, the number of passengers fell by up to 100% compared to 2019, leading to a significant drop in rail passenger transport providers revenues. At the same time, transporters continued to face various costs (sanitary and hygiene measures). This resulted in serious liquidity problems.
Italy notified an aid scheme of €511 million. Beneficiaries will be entitled to compensation in the form of direct grants for damage suffered between 8 March 2020 and 30 June 2020. Italy will ensure that no individual beneficiary will receive more compensation than what it suffered in damages. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)