Genoa, 2 December 2024 – The Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority and the Logistics Hub of the Italian State Railways Group have sealed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote digital integration between the Ports of Genoa Community System and the IT systems used by the Hub’s multiple stakeholders.
The agreement was signed by the CEO of Mercitalia Logistics, Sabrina De Filippis, and by the Government Commissioner of the Port Authority of Genoa and-Savona-Vado Ligure, Massimo Seno.
The MoU is set to accelerate data exchange, amongst all the major players actively involved in rail freight transport services to/from the Ports of Genoa and Savona-Vado, as the key to improving efficiency in the management of rail activities across the logistics chain, namely, shunting and loading/unloading operations, and onward distribution of the cargo. The overall objective is to increase the competitive edge of rail transport at the Ports of Genoa which already offers a wide selection of daily rail connections operated by Mercitalia Rail.
The agreement follows on from those sealed with the Port Authorities of the Eastern Ligurian Sea and the Central-North Adriatic Sea and a range of inland freight terminals, which are designed to consolidate the Italian ports’ role as strategic intermodal hubs., by boosting cooperation and connections between the multiple segments of the supply chain, across innovation and a more intensive use of digitalisation, thereby generating overall added-value for the landlocked major manufacturing and consumer centres.
“Today’s Memorandum of Understanding clearly states the mutual medium-long term strategies and further scope for collaboration for future projects of common interest to both parties”, declared the Government Port Commissioner Admiral Massimo Seno. “Specifically, the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority’s capital investment programme underway on the upgrade of last-mile rail links and on-terminal rail lines actively contributes to boosting the development of rail freight transport to/from the Ports of Genoa and Savona-Vado Ligure. It is important to underline that an increased use of intermodal services is indispensable to the enlargement of the Ligurian ports’ catchment market beyond the Alps - towards Switzerland, Southern Germany and Austria - whilst simultaneously achieving the goals of sustainable development by improving significantly the modal shift from road to rail”.
