Italy has written to the European Union pledging to complete a rail link with France, according to the European Parliament president David Sassoli. The Italian commitment to the controversial project, which includes a 58-km (36-mile) tunnel through the Alps and is partly funded by the EU, was described as "good news" by Sassoli in a posting on Twitter on Saturday.
The completion of a high-speed rail link connecting the French city of Lyon with Turin, in northern Italy, has divided the Italian governing coalition. The 5-Star Movement has long opposed the project, arguing that Italy should focus on upgrading the existing transport network.Coalition partner, the League, favours completing the link, which is dubbed Treno Alta Velocità (TAV).