BERLIN (GERMANY) (ITALPRESS) – “It is not known to me whether slippages will be considered, but” works “that should be uncompletable are still fundable. The doubt ‘do we finish the operè or not’ does not arise, the works as they are started so they are finished.” So said FS CEO Stefano Donnarumma during a press point at InnoTrans 2024 in Berlin. “We are in the midst of the main investments of the Pnrr, it is more than 25 billion of which about 10 are already implemented, now we are entering the executive phase. When you plan works of this nature it is clear that you can make plans but you have to have the right flexibility, then there have been issues related to the supply chain,” he adds, “but I must say that the verification activities of these weeks have made us understand that the program can be met in the technical timeframe if the balance is found on the redefinition of some objectives. The money put in we are able to commit it, we have the firepower. The most significant work is the Third Crossing where we are far ahead, the presence of gas has created a technical difficulty that has slowed down a lot in the last mile, this can move a few months ahead but it would be wrong not to consider the work completed.” Asked if there is a plan to list the Group, he replied, “No, because the timeframe is long and then there is no plan to list. We are studying the way to be able to open the capital also to private individuals, this concerns a perimeter to be identified. There are hypotheses but that are not validated from the point of view of procedure. We have to see if there is a part that can be shared,” he continued, “this would always be a project for a minority because the infrastructure has to guarantee passenger transport. I do not see the possibility of listing such a group because it is very heterogeneous, it is too articulated an asset to be listed or privatized entirely. There cannot be a different mechanism other than a minority opening, the mission of the railways cannot be changed. Protection of the passenger, the infrastructure and enhancement of it.” Many other topics were touched upon by Donnarumma, from the Industrial Plan to summer flows and the possibility of a Plan for the next 5 years. And precisely on this he explained that it will certainly be possible, “but we are not talking about a revision, there can only be an aspect of continuity, of acceleration, of strategic choices associated with several important aspects that involve hypotheses of national partnerships, but also international. Our Naples-Milan HS network is very crowded, on this the situation can be improved, we are thinking about it. There could be rationalization, we have to try to manage the congested areas better. The only obligation we have is to make the railways in Italy work well. There are things that can be fixed and improved,” he notes, “but making a comparison and looking at the numbers it is not true that in other EU countries there is more punctuality, more functionality and better prices. We are not the tail end. Can more be done? Yes, and that is what we are building to achieve.” Finally, summer flows. “It was a good summer, from the point of view of passenger flow it was a few percentage points better than the previous year, there was a very good flow of passengers which brings with it a good turnover. Then the group is big and the balance sheet is consolidated,” he concludes.
– Photo: Photogram Agency -(ITALPRESS).
