TRIESTE – ROLER Rete Operatori Logistica Emilia-Romagna, a new agreement to increase rail freight transport, was signed in Bologna in recent days.
The alliance brings together players covering the entire chain: Interporto Bologna for the multimodal platform, Dinazzano Po for the Reggio Emilia terminal, Rail Traction Company (more than 15,000 trains handled each year) for traction services and Sapir for the port of Ravenna, where it is the main operator.
The aim is to double regional rail freight volumes, which stood at 19.2 million tonnes in 2024, compared with 21.8 million two years earlier, while 235 million tonnes are moved by road.
For the port of Ravenna, ROLER means stronger connections with the regional hinterland and towards the Brenner corridor, where RTC already operates cross-border traffic. The CEO of the rail operator, Martin Ausserdorfer, underlined the added value the group can bring to regional exports thanks to its cross-border experience.
ROLER’s main medium-term investment is the new intermodal terminal at Interporto Bologna, scheduled to become operational in 2027: five 750-metre tracks and two gantry cranes. The agreement also provides for a permanent working group with the Region, RFI and the Port System Authority to coordinate the planning of public investments.
