EXPO Ferroviaria 2025 Closes with Strong Focus on Innovation, Equality and Rail Safety

The third and final day of the EXPO Ferroviaria 2025 trade fair in Milan offered a rich programme full of conferences and discussions. The agenda included the traditional series of Alstom Talks, a panel dedicated to women in the rail sector, and debates on safety, AI, and the liberalisation of Italian railways.

Alstom concluded its Alstom Talks series with another block of lectures and discussions at its stand. Thursday’s programme featured a presentation on 3D printing, which can significantly accelerate rail vehicle maintenance through the production of spare parts on demand. This was followed by the topic of career opportunities in the transport sector, aimed at attracting new talent to Alstom.

A highlight of the day was the presentation of the Coradia Stream H hydrogen unit, promising to open a new chapter in zero-emission transport. The afternoon block focused on the economic and social impacts of Alstom’s activities in Italy, and the day concluded with a demonstration of predictive maintenance and digital fleet management systems designed to improve the reliability and efficiency of rolling stock.

Women in Rail: History and Contemporary Challenges

The morning programme continued with the Stories of Women and Railways panel, which focused on the long history of women in the rail sector. The discussion showed that women had already entered the railway during the WWI, ensuring the continuity of operations while men fought at the front. In 1967, a key step towards gender equality was made when the first female engineer joined the railways, followed by many others working as dispatchers.

The debate presented the growing representation of women in the sector but also highlighted ongoing challenges, such as safety in transport and gender stereotypes influencing career choices from an early age.

The panel featured several leading figures, including Maria Teresa De Benedictis (ISFORT), Valentina Minetti (Trenord), and Paola Griff (Alstom). The Women in Tech section provided examples of women in technology, with contributions from Veronica Elena Bocci (DITECFER) and Amalia di Nardi (TechRail). Closing remarks were delivered by Claudia Maria Terzi, Regional Minister for Infrastructure and Public Works in Lombardy.

71,000 women have chosen railway as their profession,
a job that requires determination, endurance and dedication. And 300 of our female colleagues are currently defending Ukraine in the Armed Forces. The railway is about strength of character, and this strength is in you! pic.twitter.com/87soeFFnRq

— Ukrainian railways || Укрзалізниця (@Ukrzaliznytsia) March 8, 2025

HSR, Safety, Competition and Innovation

In Forum 2, Hall 11, the Risk Analysis and Assessment: The Heart and Mind of the Safety Management System workshop addressed safety management in rail. Experts from AIAFF, including General Director Nietta Novielli, focused on risk analysis methods, the importance of the human factor, and building a so-called Just Culture.

This was followed by the presentation of a study from Bocconi University entitled The Socio-Economic and Environmental Benefits of Competition in High-Speed Rail in Italy. Professor Oliviero Baccelli, together with Caroline Chabrol, CEO of SNCF Voyages Italia, presented an analysis showing how the entry of a third operator could bring savings for passengers and positive environmental impacts.

The Innovation Hub Presentations block offered a series of short showcases by companies presenting their latest technologies. These included AI systems for deterring wildlife from tracks, smart passenger flow management solutions, and artificial intelligence applications for subsoil analysis. Another notable topic was the modernisation, retrofitting, and maintenance of rolling stock to significantly extend its service life.

EXPO Ferroviaria 2025: A Strong Conclusion

The third day of EXPO Ferroviaria 2025 confirmed that the fair is not only a showcase of vehicles and technologies but also an important platform for rail sector discussion. It is equally important to stress the social dimension of the fair, as alongside technological innovations, significant attention was devoted to current themes such as gender equality, safety, and sustainability.

The trade fair thus demonstrated that the future of rail does not lie solely in faster trains but also in openness, cooperation, and the ability to respond to societal change. This is what makes EXPO Ferroviaria one of the most significant events of its kind in Europe.