DB Cargo Italia Strengthens Its Infrastructure

The strengthening of the Italian transport network is being rapidly advanced by DB Cargo Italia Services. At the state-of-the-art new freight station Castelguelfo, economic and environmentally friendly logistics are being put into practice. The DB Cargo subsidiary is significantly expanding its single wagon network in Italy to support customers such as the steel manufacturer Riva Acciao with tailored logistics solutions in combined transport. Steel transport has a tradition in Italian traffic. By early 2022, over one million tons were moved by DB Cargo Italia Services.

(Castelguelfo) For the Riva Group, the switch to rail is straightforward, as the company already has its own rail connection. In mid-May, the first flat wagon loaded with steel profiles from Lesegno in northern Italy’s Piemonte set off for its destination in Emilia Romagna.

Reliability on the Strong Rail

But how does the process work at Riva Acciao in practice? The freight cars are unloaded at the Railport Lanzi and transported the last mile by a freight forwarder by truck to the end customers of the Riva Group. This creates the perfect symbiosis between rail and road, as Sarah Erian from the International Sales Italy department of DB Cargo Italia Services confirms: “Basically, all our customers are interested in improving their processes and thus making a real contribution to CO2 reduction. This also explains their increased commitment to bringing more of their goods and products onto the rail.” The green rail is thriving as it creates the best conditions for reducing CO2 emissions.

Castelguelfo – A Railport of Modern Times

The freight station Castelguelfo is a hotspot for combined transport. Logistical flexibility and technological modernity are its hallmarks. Paolo Volpe, marketing manager of DB Cargo Italia Services, highlights the Railport as a “multimodal platform.” DB Cargo adapts the transport of its customers to their individual needs. Volpe adds: “The goods are unloaded using specific equipment based on different types of goods, and the further transport is combined with a door-to-door solution.” This means: A truck transports the goods to the factory gate on the last mile. The new rail point Castelguelfo ensures maximum reliability with sufficient capacities.

More Steel, More Tracks, More Italian Traffic

Sarah Erian is optimistic when looking to the future: “Further projects like in Castelguelfo are planned. Therefore, Italian traffic will not only continue to grow exclusively for steel; there may also be new arrival and departure points or even new connections.”

Photo: © DB Cargo / Image caption: Steel transport has high significance for Italian traffic. But other goods and products are also being brought onto the rail in Italy.