From rubber to steel: the Brenner Motorway’s winning choice
A transport system that combines road and rail to move goods efficiently; a model that reduces heavy goods traffic on motorways and helps to cut CO₂ emissions
(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor)- Combining efficiency in freight transport with environmental protection. A combination that is sometimes seen as contradictory, but which Autostrada del Brennero has managed to reconcile through road-rail intermodality. This is a transport system that integrates road and rail to move goods efficiently; a model that reduces heavy goods traffic on motorways and helps to reduce CO₂ emissions. It is important to bear in mind that rail transport covers long distances, whilst lorries handle the first and last mile. The integration of these two modes improves sustainability and logistical efficiency. Specifically, intermodal terminals play a key role in coordinating loading and unloading operations: intermodality promotes greater safety compared to road transport alone and also allows for cost optimisation on medium- to long-distance routes.
As early as the 1990s, the directors of Autostrada Brennero realised that the motorway would reach capacity. They then had a key insight: to gradually shift long-distance freight traffic onto the railways. This led to the decision to invest in the sector: first Str, then Rtc and Lokomotion GmbH were established, intended to operate on either side of the Brenner Pass and the Tarvisio border respectively.
A key date is 15 October 2001, when the first freight train left Munich Riem station bound for Verona: this marked the start of a new phase of continuous growth. Exactly twenty years later, on 15 October 2021, the Board of Directors of A22 approved a capital increase in Str for the acquisition of a 75 per cent stake in another railway company, In Rail. A move that has led to a strengthening of the rail assets, in which the company intends to continue investing. Already today, thanks to the Group, Autostrada del Brennero transfers approximately 1,500 heavy goods vehicles a day to rail: through its subsidiaries In Rail and RTC, and its associate Lokomotion, it handles around 30,000 trains every year. This saves the environment almost 300,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
Intermodal terminals
As mentioned, intermodal terminals are a key component of road-rail intermodality. With this in mind, Autostrada del Brennero, in addition to upgrading the Trento freight village, is planning to create an intermodal hub at Isola della Scala, in collaboration with Quadrante Europa. In other words, a place where lorries can transfer goods to the rail network. However, Autobrennero is not stopping there: having covered road and rail, it is now turning its attention to waterways, always striving to stay one step ahead of the future. The company’s plans also include the development of the port of Valdaro, which connects Mantua to the sea via 136 kilometres of canals unaffected by tidal variations and therefore navigable 365 days a year.
Brenner Base Tunnel – BBT
Completing the picture is the Brenner Base Tunnel. In particular, Autobrennero is contributing to the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel, a massive project costing over 10 billion euros, which is due to be completed in 2032 and will speed up the journey whilst allowing for significantly longer trains than at present – from 450 metres to over 700 metres. The tunnel will link two countries, stretching 55 km between Innsbruck (Austria) and Fortezza (Italia). The tunnel’s design comprises two single-track main tunnels.
