The number of trains handled in Italy dropped 14.4% from 384,863 in 2021 to 329,388 in 2025, according to a report from the country’s industry association Fermerci. The document also highlighted an astounding difference between the north and the south of Italy and the financial difficulties of the sector.
On a yearly basis, the number of freight trains in Italy dropped 4.5% between 2024 and 2025. The decreasing trend affected all kinds of facilities. Terminals, which handle the majority of the traffic, lost more than 7,000 trains (-6.3%), private sidings lost more than 4,000 (-6.7%). The facilities classified as ‘Interporto’ (-1.8%) and ports connected to the railway (-2.8%) also handled fewer trains.
North-south divide
Fermerci’s Last Mile Paper, based on data from the Italian infrastructure manager RFI, also underlined the disparity between northern and southern Italy. “The north accounts for about 85% of trains and about 72% of facilities, while the south and the islands account for a smaller share of traffic and infrastructure”, the association said.
The first three regions for the number of trains handled are Lombardia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto, all in the north. However, when looking at the number of trains per facility, the leader is Calabria, the southernmost region on the Italian mainland, with over 2,200. Sicily also has a good train-per-facility rate, but the two regions move only about 10% and 5% of the convoys handled in Lombardia.
Financial struggles
A final point raised by Fermerci was the cost of shunting, which “represents a significant obstacle to the competitiveness of the sector”. On average, companies pay €518 for each train, with slightly higher fees in ports that can reach €700. In January, the government approved a compensation scheme worth €30 million over the next five years for shunting services in ports.
However, as Fermerci stressed, there are two issues. First, the plan was included in the 2025 budget law but it is still waiting for an implementing decree from the ministries of transport and finance. Moreover, the €30 million euros for five years would only cover 25% of the cost of shunting in ports. The percentage becomes even lower considering the total shunting costs in Italy are estimated between €100 and €110 million.
“Structural measures are needed to support these services, starting with the full implementation of the incentives included in the budget bill for rail and port operations, because the revitalization of rail freight transport is an industrial, economic, and environmental priority for the country”, concluded Giuseppe Rizzi, general manager at Fermerci.