Italy: freight transport below EU average 31/05/24
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Freight transport, still little by rail: only 17% in the EU. Operators: «13 billion needed to innovate the sector»
Italy below the European average with 12%. The objectives set by Europe seem like a chimera: by 2030 the railway share must reach 50%
Rail freight transport is strategic for the country's economy but is in difficulty, its modal share is still too low compared to that of road transport: about 12% in Italy, 17% in Europe against 84% and 80% respectively of road transport . And the objectives set by Europe seem like a chimera: by 2030 the rail share must reach 50%: volumes must be increased and CO2 emissions must be reduced to zero by 2050.
Operators' requests
The most influential players met in Venice to discuss the future of the sector, called together by Uip (International Union of Freight Car Owners) and Assoferr (Association of Railway and Intermodal Operators). The request: to allow freight transport to experience the same revolution that occurred in passenger transport. And investments that relaunch the sector: Uip estimates 13 billion to reach the set targets. And in particular with the Dac, the "intelligent wagons", a 30% increase in volumes is expected.
De Girolamo (Assoferr): «There is a general market crisis»
From the world of associations, Assoferr President Armando de Girolamo urges the government to ensure a future for what is a key asset of the country, but for which today it is difficult to attract more volumes. "There is a general crisis in the market - underlines de Girolamo - which concerns the railway sector in general and intermodal in particular, serious planning is needed by the Government and all institutions to ensure good functioning, in the interest of the community also for environmental and social reasons, as well as economic ones. For now, it seems we have looked elsewhere".
Zindo (Uip): «Lines not very up to date)
A theme also reiterated by the president of Uip, David Zindo, who highlighted how the European railway network is currently neither competitive nor attractive for young people. “The lines are not very up to date, there are also problems due to the lack of investment in the European Ten-T network and logistics players do not take us into consideration as a transport alternative. Furthermore, a clearer and fairer regulatory framework is needed and there is a need for modernization and investments. The technology is there: it is called Dac (Digital Automatic Coupling).
Navone (Ansfisa): «DAC experimentation started»
And on the Dac, where the train becomes a single energy vector that draws energy from the catenary and then, thanks to automatic digital coupling, releases it to the entire convoy, Pier Luigi Navone of Ansfisa announced the start of testing of the new system in Italy with the first tests involving a total of 6 trains with more than 120 wagons and testing will continue throughout Europe and will involve, between 2026 and 2027, 100 trains in pre-operation, with 2 thousand wagons. "The Agency - says Navone - strongly promotes and supports projects aimed at improving safety. For rail freight transport, a sector that must be strengthened, the Dac today represents a truly innovative technological project and Ansfisa is following it carefully, especially in anticipation of the authorization activities and procedures that will be implemented. It is however important that the sector continues to evaluate the adoption of tools that further reduce risks also in rail transport, from derailments to personnel maneuvering activities".
3 billion investment plan
Among the companies, the Logistics Hub of the FS group has launched an investment plan of 3 billion euros, 80% of which is earmarked for the innovation of the latest generation locomotives and wagons. "We are the first in Italy - intervened Sabrina De Filippis, CEO of Mercitalia - to support the Dac digital system, which allows a significant technological upgrade of the wagons for the management of freight trains. A European experiment that runs in parallel with the ongoing investments that, as the FS Group, we are making to contribute to the evolution of global logistics. The Dac must become a priority commitment for the entire sector, supported by Italian and European institutions, because it further raises safety levels and is one of the enabling factors for the qualitative relaunch of freight mobility in a multimodal perspective.
In Italy 17 thousand km of railway network
Gianpiero Strisciuglio, CEO of Rfi of the FS group, spoke about infrastructure: «In Italy we can count on 17 thousand km of railway network. Of this network, 5,500 km are part of the European Ten-T networks, we are also crossed by 4 corridors and by 2032 we will be the first country to have 750-meter trains with the maximum permitted weight travel on all these 5,500 km. A plan that aims to increase the capacity of freight transport and to specialize the infrastructure. Strisciuglio then underlines that, despite the open construction sites, Rfi is one of the few networks that, while carrying out strengthening works, does not completely interrupt circulation on the line».
The ports
But investments in infrastructure also concern ports, with interventions aimed above all at strengthening rail connections and developing digital technologies. Zeno D'Agostino, outgoing president of the Port Authority of Trieste, spoke about this, a port that is at the forefront of developing rail connections: «Trieste is a prime example at a national level that is attracting investments from all over Europe. In particular, in the railway sector, companies have also invested in creating large workshops for the maintenance and repair of carriages».