MOROCCO IS ACCELERATING! feature - Alstom

4
interview
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or perhaps Milan and Turin, it was to take us
just over thirty minutes, we could allow
ourselves to travel much more frequently than
is conceivable today. This would therefore
create new mobility and work opportunities,
encouraged by this new infrastructure.
This change in rail transport will open up new
prospects, new scenarios. It is also possible,
in the medium or long-term, that other private
operators may decide to invest in this business.
Personally, I am convinced that high speed
has not yet deployed its full potential, and that
consequently the market will inevitably grow.
NTV will have a leading position and very
signifi cant market share in the high-speed
sector. However, as this cake will soon begin
to rise, at the same time as consumers’
needs, I am certain the state operator will not
be affected. There will be opportunities
for everyone and it is the passengers who
will benefi t.
Why did you decide to enter
the rail sector?
What opportunities did you and
your associates at NTV see?
A dream and a certainty: the dream of rapid
ecological mobility and the certainty that
the good old train represents a challenge
for the future. When my associates and
I began to consider investing in trains,
we became convinced by these two factors.
We are confi dent that this century
is destined to be the century of rail.
Economic factors, increases in car traffi c
and greater sensitivity to problems
related to the environment and to pollution,
have given a new impetus to national
and international rail services, which
are increasing in number and quality.
Rail – and the European policy for developing
multinational intermodal transport through
the famous European rail corridors is proof
of this – has become strategic and this will
increasingly be the case in the future.
How will the train of
the future compete with other
modes of transport?
High-speed technology has offered the train
a second youth by making it extremely
competitive, not only compared to the plane,
“ We are in high speed because, in Italy, it is the only
sector that has become open to competition.”
but also compared to the car. The train will
benefi t from a much wider customer base,
which guarantees, as I said a moment ago,
room for competition between several actors.
In Europe, certain rail lines are already
being used more than air services.
The fi rst that come to mind are the Paris-Lyon
line in France, or the Madrid-Seville line
in Spain, where the plane has lost the fi ght
against the train. Italian high speed presents
different characteristics because it connects
cities that are 100 or 200 kilometres apart:
on these routes, high speed is very
competitive, even compared to the car.
But it is not only a matter of speed:
thanks to modern communication
technologies the train allows passengers
to make better use of their journey time.
It becomes a true offi ce with computers
and telephones, or simply a place
for entertainment. NTV is counting on
these factors: passengers on the AGV .Italo
will always be connected and they will also
be able to enjoy live on-board television.
In short, the challenge we have decided
to take up is to propose a travel concept