The ALe 803 were conceived at the end of the 1950s to resolve the increasing problems of commuting around the larger cities of Italy.

They were designed together with the ALe 601 series luxury railcars, with a similar structure and shared components.

In 1959 the Ferrovie dello Stato ordered a first series of 20 trainsets, and a second series of 15 trainsets specifically conceived for the Naples metropolitan railway, with fewer seats and more austere interiors.

The EN 300 series trains for SEPSA, built in 1977, were derived from the ALe 803.

[1] Media related to Category:FS ALe 803 at Wikimedia Commons