Three of the six electric gantry cranes that will be operated in the future Milano Smistamento intermodal terminal, east of the Italian metropolis, have been installed. The installation of the cranes, provided by Kuenz, “represents a fundamental development of the realisation of the new intermodal terminal”, said Sabrina De Filippis, CEO of the Italian state-owned rail freight holding FS Logistix.
While waiting for the last three cranes, work continues to complete the rest of the terminal, expected to open sometime this year. The facility will be managed by TerAlp, a company created jointly by FS Logistix and Swiss private operator Hupac. The helm of the company was assigned to Bernhard Kunz, already Executive Board Member at the Swiss rail giant.
Once completed, the terminal will be able to handle 44 trains every day, according to FS Logistix. “The infrastructure will consist of 15 tracks at least 740 metres long – 10 dedicated to transhipment operations and five for support – organised into two modules, each equipped with three electric gantry cranes”. The first three cranes delivered are part of Module I. while the remaining three will go to Module II.
Hupac’s investments in Italy
The renewal of the Milano Smistamento terminal mobilised 120 million euros, 67 of which came from the Swiss government. The Helvetic Federation, a key transit hub along Europe’s busiest corridor, is keen on investing in terminals closer to its borders to ensure that more goods cross the country by rail. The investment for the cranes amounted to 31 million euros, FS Logistix specified.
Other than Milan, FS and Hupac are also working on new and renovated terminals in Piacenza and Brescia, two other important industrial hubs in northern Italy. The one in Brescia, which will be called La Piccola Velocità (The Small Speed), will see a joint investment of 60 million euros. For Piacenza, Hupac is upgrading the Le Mose terminal, which has been operating since 2007.
European Cargo Experience
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