Alarm cry of railway companies operating in freight transport, struggling with multiple emergencies. Just to name a few: the price of traction electricity requested from railway companies by RFI (the infrastructure manager) increased by 128% in the period October 2020 / October 2021; the reduction in the speed of freight trains decided on 2 November by the National Agency for Railway Safety (Ansfisa); adaptation to Ertms technologies, which obliges companies to adapt their locomotives with a complete overhaul of the on-board technological equipment, an operation which must then be certified and approved with a long period of inactivity of the vehicle; operational complications introduced by the new railway traffic regulation. Emergencies which, according to the companies, will result in heavy economic repercussions.
The letter
Fercargo (the association that brings together private companies) e Mercitalia Rail (FS Group) have sent a letter to the Minister of Infrastructure, Enrico Giovannini, calling for immediate action in support of the sector. The stakes are high: the concrete possibility of implementing the modal shift, that is the transfer of increasing shares of goods from road to rail, depends on the health of the railway cargo.
The letter, which “Il Sole 24 Ore” has come into possession of, is signed by Luigi Legnani, president of Fercargo e Maria Giaconia, Chief Executive Officer of Mercitalia Rail.
Legnani explains: “In recent years, rail freight transport has become the essential pivot of any transport policy aimed at improving the sustainability of the circulation of goods, facilitating the achievement of any decarbonisation objective and allowing the Italian logistics system to develop intermodality “. For these reasons, the railway cargo companies hope for the creation of conditions that allow their development and relaunch.
Legnani continues: “Unfortunately, at this moment, not only is this not happening, but the sector is having to face a series of negative circumstances, linked to measures recently enacted, which even risk compromising its existence».