Padua, October 15 (askanews) – Italian rail freight transport is at a crossroads: strategic for sustainability, but still hampered by costs and infrastructure issues. This picture comes from the 2026 Last Mile Rail Charter, presented by the Fermerci Association at the Green Logistics Expo in Padua. In 2025, the 205 stations analyzed handled 329.388 trains: 4,5% fewer than in 2024 and 14,4% fewer than the 2021 peak. This decline affects freight terminals, private track clusters, freight terminals, and connected ports.
The additional costs of the last mile of rail also weigh on competitiveness. "This figure unfortunately confirms the decline in rail freight traffic, attributable to various causes, including the geopolitical context and network work. It confirms that the sector is experiencing a crisis, which requires intervention by providing concrete support to the intermodal and rail freight transport sector," stated Giuseppe Rizzi, General Director of Associazione Fermerci. The figures highlight a system concentrated in a few hubs, but also supported by a widespread network of connections serving businesses and local communities.
A snapshot that highlights the need for targeted interventions capable of enhancing existing infrastructure and supporting the development of intermodal logistics. The data shows us a very significant national portfolio of last-mile facilities, but with a distinctive characteristic: a strong concentration in Northern Italy and a decidedly smaller presence in Central and Southern Italy.
This clearly reflects our industrial fabric, but it remains an issue that needs to be reflected upon,” added Cataldo Rosito, PwC Italy Director. The value of the railway therefore goes beyond the volumes handled: each year it saves approximately 670 million liters of fossil fuel and avoids 1,6 million tons of CO2. “We must take action to connect ports and freight terminals to the five European corridors that cross our country. This will give us the opportunity, with the opening of the Turin-Lyon and Brenner lines, to allow our operators to reach Central and Northern Europe and thus become a true logistics platform for the entire Mediterranean,” concluded Enrico Maria Pujia, Head of the Transport and Navigation Department at MIT. The next decisions will be crucial to bridging the gaps and reducing network access costs.
Askanews