The Italian rail freight sector remained stable in 2024. The total volume transported was virtually unchanged compared to 2023. Conversely, the road sector grew by 5.2 per cent. This confirms a trend the sector has known all too well: modal shift is failing. However, trains did beat trucks in one segment.
That segment is international traffic. Containers and palletised loads moving between Italy and Germany, France, and Switzerland via Alpine passes are still largely carried by rail. The Gotthard Base Tunnel and the Brenner Corridor form the backbone of this traffic. In the international segment, road is less competitive due to cabin hours, fuel costs, and accident risk.
Yet within Italy the picture is different. On short-distance transport, road is faster, more flexible, and cheaper. Italy is falling behind on the European Commission's modal shift targets (30 per cent of freight by rail and inland waterway by 2030). The sector points to capacity constraints on domestic freight corridors, gaps in terminal infrastructure, and operator consolidation as reform areas where solutions are expected.
Key Takeaways:
1. Italian rail freight remained stable in 2024 while road grew by 5.2 per cent.
2. Modal shift targets are failing — rail volume was virtually unchanged.
3. In international freight traffic, trains still beat trucks.
4. The Gotthard Base Tunnel and Brenner Corridor are the backbone of this traffic.
5. Italy is falling behind on the EU's 2030 modal shift targets.
