Italy to ask state railways to invest in Alitalia: press

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta is sounding out the state-owned railway group Ferrovie dello Stato about taking a stake in money-losing airline Alitalia, Il Messaggero reported on Sunday. The government is holding a meeting on Monday to discuss financial support for the airline, a government source told Reuters on Friday. Ferrovie dello Stato chief Mauro Moretti will attend the meeting, Il Messaggero said on Sunday without citing sources, to discuss a possible investment. Such a move would counter-balance the influence of Franco-Dutch carrier Air France-KLM, which has signaled it could take a stake in Alitalia. (Reporting by Jennifer Clark, editing by William Hardy)