TRIESTE – Green light for the extension of the port rail-shunting incentive. With an amendment to the Milleproroghe Decree, the measure is extended until 31 December 2030 and becomes structural.
Support for last-mile rail operations comes after the European Commission’s authorisation granted in January, which allowed Italy to incentivise freight rail shunting within port areas. The measure, due to expire in December 2026, will now be extended by a further four years, once the decree’s conversion into law is completed by 1 March.
The fund provides for a maximum contribution of €500,000 per year for each Port System Authority, for a total of €30 million over the reference period. Shunting operators accessing the resources will be required to pass 50% of the amount on to railway undertakings. In practice, it takes the shape of a ‘port Ferrobonus’, aimed at reducing the cost of rail operations inside ports.
The intervention comes against a backdrop of declining rail freight traffic in ports. According to RFI data, between 2021 and 2025 the number of freight trains fell by around 5%. Behind the drop are not only geopolitical tensions and infrastructure constraints on the network, but also the weight of rail-shunting service costs.
Clemente Carta, president of Fermerci, welcomed the approval of the amendment, calling it a first concrete step in support of the sector. According to Carta, however, the market continues to show signs of stress, as demonstrated by the overall 2025 figures, which record a broad decline across the main indicators. Hence the call for greater attention and further support measures for rail freight, especially at a time when the entire logistics supply chain is facing a complex market environment.
