Millions in funding approved for KV terminal near Bologna

Millions in funding approved for KV terminal near Bologna

October 2, 2025 | DVZ

The intermodal transshipment terminal Interporto Bologna is scheduled to undergo significant expansion in the coming years. The Italian government intends to provide financial support and has requested state aid approval from the EU Commission.

Italy has been approved to provide €24.5 million in funding for the expansion of the Interporto multimodal freight terminal near Bologna. The EU Commission justified its approval on Thursday by stating that the aid would contribute to the shift of freight traffic from road to rail. By the end of 2026, the existing facility will be expanded with five new tracks, each 750 meters long, and approximately 80,000 square meters of additional platform space.

The Commission stated that rail freight traffic in the Emilia Romagna region is significantly lower than the EU average. However, the opening of the Brenner Base Tunnel, expected in 2032, will bring significantly more traffic. The terminal is located at a strategically important point in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). It is where the three TEN-T corridors of Scandinavia-Mediterranean, Baltic-Adriatic, and Mediterranean (with a planned connection to Ukraine via Hungary) converge. Regular freight train connections exist from the Interporto terminal to destinations including Cologne, Rotterdam, and Rostock.

The Commission has examined the Italian subsidies for compatibility with EU State aid guidelines. It concluded that the aid is necessary to make the modal shift from trucks to rail more attractive. Without the aid, the terminal operators would not expand their facilities to the same extent. At the same time, the Commission justified its approval by stating that the subsidies are "proportionate." They do not go beyond what is necessary and do not distort competition between EU member states.