Confirmation of the Trenitalia Carnet Smart on the Turin–Milan route
Date of the event:
On 1 November 2026 Trenitalia confirmed that the Carnet Smart remains on sale. It is a commercial scheme that allows the purchase of ten high-speed trips on the Turin–Milan route, to be used within thirty days. The confirmation came after protests by Turin mayor Stefano Lo Russo, who in the preceding days had challenged the company’s decision to scrap the scheme [1].
The affair
Trenitalia’s original plan called for sales of the Carnet Smart to stop from 1 November 2026. On 22 October the company had already suspended the move, pending a meeting called at the ministry with consumer associations [1].
On 28 October the mayor of Turin wrote to Trenitalia’s management, expressing his «firm opposition» to scrapping the Carnet Smart. According to Lo Russo, the cancellation risked weighing above all on workers who do not go to the office every day [1].
The mayor’s position
Lo Russo said he was «really very pleased that Trenitalia has decided to review this decision», which in his view would have caused «a significant financial burden for those commuters who most need flexibility» [1]. The mayor pointed to the effects of the spread of remote working and new ways of organising work, noting the growing number of workers who travel to the office only a few days a month, for whom a monthly season ticket can be poor value [1].
The Turin–Milan route
The issue concerns the rail link between Turin and Milan, used daily by workers, professionals and students, as well as by companies operating between the two areas. For Lo Russo, «rail mobility is an essential element for the economic development of the area, for integration between the main employment hubs and for residents’ quality of life» [1]. Keeping the Carnet Smart preserves a solution designed for those who travel by high-speed train with variable frequency, without having to buy a single ticket each time or take out a monthly season ticket [1].
Related articles: Stefano Lo Russo
Sources
- Trenitalia, il Carnet Smart resta in vendita: vittoria dei pendolari sulla tratta Torino-Milano — Quotidiano Piemontese, 1 November 2026