Numbers on the rise
Measures taken to counter the pandemic have got a strong hold on the Emilia-Romagna region too – home to the Bologna Interporto. The logistics hub is doing a good job of catching up again after the first half, as Sergio Crespi told Christian Doepgen recently.
How have your activities gone during this second shutdown? What is your overall assessment of the situation in the Emilia-Romagna region?
Even in this Covid-19 period, Interporto Bologna has been able to continue to commercialise all of its strategic pillars – real estate, railways, value-adding services – with good results. The situation in Emilia-Romagna is under control, even during this second wave. There is great awareness of the problem, and respect for the rules; every social partner is doing its part to get through the crisis in the best possible way. The health system is performing, which helps.
How did the number of trains passing through your Interporto develop in 2019, and so far in this difficult year? What about trucking activities?
The rail sector in particular is growing strongly and fast, keeping on with its positive trend both in relation to the number of trains (+45% over September 2019 and +28% over the previous month), and in terms of wagons (+35% compared to the same month of 2019, and +30% compared to a month ago). As regards the road sector, transport there is growing as well. It rose by 6% compared to September 2019 and by 44% compared to August 2020. The deficit owed to the pandemic is closing; cumulatively, the period stands at –5.3%.
How have links to and from Bari, Catania, Marcianise and Turin developed? Bologna Interporto’s status as a central hub depends heavily on them, after all.
All of the rail links mentioned have registered very satisfactory figures, even in the Covid-19 period, which shows that rail transport and the Bologna Interporto are withstanding the impact of the crisis.
Are there any types of cargo that have experienced a special boom this year?
There are 120 companies that operate in the Bologna freight village, making it a veritable logistics city. Among these, the food, drug and express courier clusters have registered strong figures in the crisis, in line with or even slightly higher than those from before the downturn.
How did the high-speed rail link ‘Mercitalia Fast’ perform last and this year?
In 2020, ‘Mercitalia Fast’ continued its pace, with steadily increasing figures. Our existing and prospective customers are from the express courier, automotive spare parts and food clusters.
The service is so innovative that the market initially struggled to accommodate the new fast freight train. The numbers are now nevertheless growing steadily. We’ve now attained a utilisation rate of more than 50% of the train’s capacity.
Is the new northern access route now under construction? What are your strategic goals there?
Yes, the project for a new northern access route is now under way. It is characterised by five roundabouts that will improve access to the freight village. The Bologna Interporto remains a dynamic entity during this difficult period too, with several projects being implemented. The expansion of our current access route is set to be completed in 2020; the new LNG station, a new service building and the revamping of rail terminals in 2021; the northern access route in 2022; and the enlargement of our southern access route in 2023.
What investments are you currently making in your terminals?
A new project to improve rail terminals in the Interporto, presented by the ministry of transport and infrastructure, with RFI, foresees a 750 m rail pick-up and delivery zone with 750 m of access tracks.
On top of this, there are plans to auction 1,000 m of tracks for wagon storage.
