TRIESTE – In 2024 land freight transport in Italy exceeds 1.2 billion tonnes. Road further strengthens its dominant position, while rail remains broadly stable and consolidates its role in cross-border flows.
According to the latest data, out of 1,205.1 million tonnes moved by land, 92.1% travels by road and 7.9% by rail. Also in terms of tonne-kilometres—the indicator that measures distance travelled—trucks account for 86.9% of the total. Rail freight carried 94.6 million tonnes for 22.9 billion tonne-kilometres. Domestic traffic accounts for 35.7 million tonnes and 12.3 billion tonne-kilometres. Compared with 2023, the figure is stable. The road dynamic is different. Italian hauliers operating heavy vehicles transported 1,110.5 million tonnes for 152.7 billion tonne-kilometres, up 5.2% year on year. Domestic traffic remains overwhelmingly prevalent: 1,084.2 million tonnes and 136.1 billion tonne-kilometres.
The split between domestic and international highlights a structural difference between the two modes. In domestic transport, 96.8% of goods move by road. For rail, by contrast, domestic traffic represents only 37.7% of total tonnes: the larger share is linked to international flows. The gap has widened over the past decade. Between 2014 and 2024 road freight grew by 29.6% in tonne-kilometres, rising from 117.8 to 152.7 billion. Over the same period rail increased by 13.8%, from 20.2 to 22.9 billion.
In the European comparison, Italy maintains a strong position in rail freight, with 6.1% of EU27 tonne-kilometres, slightly up on 2023. The country ranks fourth after Germany, Poland and France. The figure is also significant in light of infrastructure density: 5.6 kilometres of railway line per 100 square kilometres, versus 10.8 in Germany and 6.3 in Poland. In road transport, Italian carriers cover 8.2% of overall European performance, placing fifth after Poland, Germany, Spain and France. The geography of flows confirms the centrality of the North, which accounts for 56.4% of national GDP and generates around 82% of rail-borne goods and 68.2% of road-borne goods. The industrial and logistics centre of gravity remains anchored along the Po Valley axis.
On the industrial side, the rail freight market appears more structured than in the past: freight operators increased from 16 in 2004 to 24 in 2024. In road transport, progressive outsourcing continues. Only 13.2% of tonnes are carried on an own-account basis, while 87% is entrusted to third-party (for-hire) operators. On long-distance hauls over 300 kilometres, own-account transport falls to 1.8%. From a commodity standpoint, rail shows a strong concentration on intermodal. Goods classified in group 19, which includes containers and swap bodies, represent 59% of tonnes and 49% of tonne-kilometres by rail. Road is more diversified: food, beverages and tobacco account for 18% of tonnes moved, followed by municipal waste.
