The Italian Competition Authority accepts the commitments offered by the national rail incumbent over its proposed grant of data access to a rival high-speed rail services provider for the purposes of selling combined tickets (Trenitalia / NTV)

On 18 April 2023, the Italian Competition Authority (“ICA”) accepted commitments offered by the Italian national rail incumbent, Trenitalia S.p.A. (“Trenitalia”), whereby Trenitalia will grant Italo – Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (“NTV”), its competitor in high-speed rail transport services, access to data that will allow NTV to sell combined tickets including Trenitalia’s regional and mid-distance trains. The ICA’s decision ends one of several antitrust investigations in the national rail services market, focusing on allegedly anticompetitive strategies by rail incumbents that prevent independent passenger rail transport providers from competing more effectively. These investigations will set important parameters for competition between incumbents and new entrants in the rail sector and