The first track capable of accommodating 740-metre freight trains has been commissioned at the Marghera terminal near the port of Venice in northeastern Italy.
The €2.7m project, delivered by the national infrastructure manager RFI, is expected to make rail freight to and from the port more cost-effective and competitive.
The project “represents a decisive step towards making rail freight transport more competitive, thanks to a significant reduction in the cost per unit of load,” said RFI’s parent company Ferrovie dello Stato. With the new track, the port, a key hub on the TEN-T Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor, now complies with EU standards.
The works included upgrades to three tracks, improvements to the electric traction signalling system and enhancements to the traffic management system. Rail freight’s role at the port of Venice is expected to grow further with this development and others to come. For instance, Volkswagen Logistics Group will shortly open a new terminal in the Porto Marghera area.
