The first train of the new multi-client intermodal connection of Mercitalia Intermodal (Mercitalia Pole – Gruppo FS Italiane) to the terminals of Bari and Catania left on the evening of 3 April from Padua Interport.

Entrusted to Mercitalia Rail locomotives, the new train departs on Friday evening from Padua to reach the terminals in Puglia on Saturday and in Sicily on Monday. The south-northbound train, on the other hand, departs from Catania on Tuesday and leaves Bari on Wednesday, arriving at the Padua interport on Thursday morning.

The train is made up of low-loading bi-modular wagons, conventional wagons and pocket wagons, which are capable of transporting semi-trailers, swap bodies and containers, thus covering the entire range of intermodal loading units and is multi-carrier. Along the route, at the Bari Lamasinata station the sections for Bari and Catania are split (in the north-south direction) or reunited (for the reverse route). This strengthens intermodal relations on the north-south axis of the Peninsula at a delicate time for the country’s economy, in which rail freight traffic, with its regularity and reliability, offers an important element of safety and continuity of service. Interporto Padua has promptly made available its intermodal terminal, which with the huge investments of the last few years is able to respond in a very short time to the requests for new relations and services from the MTOs, also fully playing its role as a pivotal infrastructure in the Italian and European intermodal network.

General Manager Roberto Tosetto emphasises: “Interporto Padua is fully operational and continues to play its pivotal role in the intermodal transport network that has the irreplaceable task of holding Italy together and enabling the country’s essential activities to function. The start-up of a new intermodal connection on the north-south axis between Padua and thus the entire north-east and the terminals in Bari and Catania makes it possible to offer a further safe and reliable link for internal and, in the case of Bari, also international traffic. Thanks to the investments made in the intermodal terminal in recent years, we have been able to organise the management of this new multi-client rail service developed by Mercitalia Intermodal, and entrusted to Mercitalia Rail for traction, in a short time. Interporto Padua wants to play its full part in serving the country at this difficult time and is at the disposal of all companies for any logistical needs”.