The European Commission approved a state aid scheme worth 24,5 million euros for the upgrade of the Interporto Bologna intermodal terminal. The funds will be used to add five tracks to handle 750-metre trains and expand the facility by 80,000 square metres.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, the Commission said, highlighting the strategic location of Bologna. The city is situated where three TEN-T Corridors meet – Mediterranean, Scan-Med and Baltic-Adriatic, making it a key node for the Italian and European supply chain.
The Interporto Bologna terminal
The Interporto Bologna is the most important intermodal facility in the area and the ninth intermodal terminal in Europe according to GVZ. It is made up of three terminals covering a surface of 665,000 square metres. The new investment aims at inverting the recent downward trend. In 2023, for example, the terminal handled 3,391 trains, a drop of one-third compared to 2022. Rail wagons handled also declined by 26,7% to roughly 56,000 units.
Currently, Interporto Bologna has set a goal of 8,000 trains managed annually by 2027. Hopefully, the state aid unlocked by the European Commission will help in this direction, despite the many challenges faced by the Italian rail freight industry. Between climate change, temporary capacity restrictions and unilateral disruptive moves from its neighbours, the past few years have put a strain on Italy, which will probably remain at least for the next couple years.