Azerbaijan acquires shares from Italian railway operator

The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) has invested 34.5 million euro in Italy's leading high-speed railway operator Italo - Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori S.p.A (Italo) by joining an investment fund managed by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), which is part of the US company BlackRock, Report informs, citing SOFAZ.

According to the fund, established in 2012, Italo is one of the leading companies in the sector as Italy's first private high-speed passenger railway operator. The company operates on routes covering 54 Italian cities, including the Milan-Rome corridor, with a fleet consisting of 25 AGV 575 and 26 Italo EVO trains capable of reaching speeds up to 360 km per hour.

In 2024, MSC, operating in the global container transportation sector, acquired approximately 50% of Italo shares from GIP. The remaining 50% stake belongs to GIP, co-investors, and funds managed by GIP, including SOFAZ.

Characterized by high operational performance, Italo has significant growth potential against the background of increasing demand for sustainable mobility solutions. This investment has strategic importance in terms of diversifying SOFAZ's investment portfolio by making investments in sustainable infrastructure assets as a long-term investor.