The Municipality of Naples in Italy has awarded Hitachi Rail a €200 million contract to supply 22 new generation trains for Line 6 of the Naples Metro.

The new trains will have a total length of 39 metres and a capacity of 290 passengers. They will be fitted with Automatic Train Protection (ATP) to ensure the safe operation of the trains and will feature an innovative air conditioning system to provide high levels of passenger comfort in all seasons.

Hitachi Rail’s factory sites at Pistoia and Naples in Italy will construct the trains, with six new bidirectional metropolitan trains being delivered in phase 1 of the contract for entry into service from 2026.

These will contribute to a progressively increasing service frequency, adding extra capacity and better passenger comfort.

Last year, Hitachi Rail secured a contract to supply 30 new ETR1000 high-speed trains to the Italian state operator Trenitalia.

Luca D’Aquila, COO of Hitachi Rail Group, said “We believe that public transport, and in particular urban transport, plays a crucial role in bringing people and communities closer to an integrated and increasingly sustainable mobility ecosystem.

“Our reliable, safe and comfortable transport systems can encourage the greater use of green mass transport, helping to drive a modal shift away from private transport, delivering increasingly connected and green cities”. Hitachi Rail is committed to providing sustainable and innovative mobility solutions worldwide.”

The Mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, said: “It is a fundamental step to enhance rail transport in the city with the latest generation trains that guarantee efficiency and safety to users. The Administration’s efforts to equip the city with an increasingly articulated and technologically advanced transport system continue”.

Councillor for Mobility, Edoardo Cosenza, said “By summer 2026 we will have the gradual transition to the new 39-metre trains and a capacity of 290 passengers as per the contract signed with Hitachi, improving carrying capacity and comfort.”

“Subsequently, there will be a gradual transition to new trains in double composition (580 passengers) with a frequency of 4.5 minutes. Line 6 will involve the large basin of Bagnoli, Fuorigrotta, Chiaia and then Posillipo, making it connected with Piazza Municipio with an interchange on Line 1″.

“In the summer of this year, line 6 will be opened for use in the Mostra-Municipio section using the existing trains, 25 meters long and with a capacity of 200 passengers, maintained as mechanics and electronics and enhanced with safety instrumentation to protect the march.