“From Lisbon to Kyiv”
In conversation with InRail CEO Guido Porta. The Genoa-based enterprise InRail, a very large Italian railfreight group with cross-border experience and ambitions, operates 20 electric and five diesel locomotives of its own, has 400 employees and a turnover that’s expected to reach EUR 90 million this year (+10–12% compared to 2022). CEO Guido Porta recently told the ITJ how fresh capital is opening up new avenues – in east and west.
Mr Porta, no one knows InRail as well as you do. Please tell us a little about the most important steps in the firm’s history.
InRail came into being in 2009 as the only railway company with private founders – myself along with two other initiators. The idea wasn’t only to develop traction, but also to offer other services related to our core business.
At present, 15 companies belong to the group. In addition to other rail enterprises such as FuoriMuro in Genoa and Metrocargo, they’re service providers in shunting, rolling stock and training. In maintenance, FVG Rail is a market leader in Italy and will commission a new pit lathe in September. In 2021, Autobrennero acquired 75% of InRail.
What are the implications of this for InRail’s operations?
This gives our plans to expand our railway business and increase business opportunities for our customers a very big boost. What’s important for the future is that the management team in place remains in office, and that the motorway operator wants to advance the multimodal logistics infrastructure along its concession from the Brenner Pass to Modena, from the point of view of sustainability, for example with new terminals.
Where does InRail operate from today?
Our terminals, primarily those operated by Metrocargo, are spread across all of northern Italy and are served by our own trains. From Borgo San Dalmazzo near Cuneo in the west via Mortara, Parma and Mantua to San Giorgio di Nogaro near Udine in the east.
We operate a warehouse to the north of Genoa that will soon offer no less than 8,000 m2 of warehousing space; it belongs to Arquata Logistic Services, a company that belongs to the InRail network. We’re also looking to France, namely to locations in the greater Marseille and Paris regions, to be more precise.
What sectors of the economy do InRail’s customers come from?
Well, almost every sector, I’m inclined to say. Shippers from the steel, grain and gas sectors are particularly strong. What we’re capable of in car transport is shown by the fact that BMW now routes a part of its export volumes through Ravenna with us. They were previously transported almost exclusively via Northern Range ports. The Adriatic port of Ravenna was also the transhipment point for an InRail blocktrain from landlocked Serbia.
So you also look further east across Italy’s borders?
Yes, very much so. Outstanding projects in 2022 saw us establish a train line to transport carbon black over approximately 1,300 km from Genoa via Slovenia to Hungary. In 2021 our first train ran between Croatia and France. We’re striving to become increasingly important on this corridor between Eastern and Western Europe and also want to offer more long-distance routes.
It’s an advantage that InRail is the only Italian railway enterprise in possession of a ‘Single Safety Certificate’ for Slovenia and Croatia. In Nova Gorica and Zagreb InRail also has its own offices.
In Hungary, on the other hand, we work together with a permanent partner, which also makes business easier for us in the current complicated situation even further east.
What will change there, also on account of the entry of Autobrennero?
It still isn’t easy for a private company to expand into these markets, even though they are members of the EU. The joint formation of STR2, which owns 100% of InRail, 95% of RTC – the Rail Traction Company, and about half of the firm Lokomotion, is a key strategy for this.
With Autobrennero, the largest private railfreight operator in Italy has been created, with more than 600 employees and an annual turnover of EUR 180 million.
Where else are you planning to invest with this?
With the same approach we’ve taken in Slovenia and Croatia, we also want to develop in the French market. This is also challenging, due to protectionist currents, but is important. Because, in another context, we want to operate independently on a corridor that stretches from Lisbon all the way to Kyiv.
Andreas Haug conducted this interview.