[2] Founded in 1976 through the merger of regional public transport operators in Lazio, Cotral inherited from one of these, STEFER, the management of the Rome metro, the concession railways Rome-Lido, Rome-Civita Castellana-Viterbo, and Rome-Fiuggi-Frosinone, as well as the tramways of the Castelli Romani.

(later merged into ATAC), leaving Cotral with the sole management of the interurban and suburban bus network in Lazio.

In the period 2018-2022, the Municipality of Rome initiated and completed the transfer of the Rome-Viterbo and Rome-Lido lines (now renamed "Metromare") to the Lazio Region, which entrusted Cotral with passenger services and Astral with infrastructure management.

The Cotral fleet consists, as of 2023, of 1,655 interurban buses with an average age of approximately 6.5 years.

[4] Since 2024, it has also been managing 7 interregional lines, serving the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, Abruzzo and Campania.