Interporto Bologna, Dinazzano Po, Sapir and Rail Traction Company signed a network contract on 8 May 2026 to jointly develop intermodal transport in Emilia-Romagna. The new initiative is called Roler, Rete Operatori Logistica Emilia-Romagna (Emilia-Romagna Logistics Operators Network), and has been created to increase rail freight volumes through closer integration between terminals, the port, rail operators and the regional production system. The agreement comes at a time when rail freight traffic is declining. According to figures cited by the network’s promoters, while 235 million tonnes of goods travel by road, rail flows to regional terminals fell from 21.8 million tonnes to 19.2 million tonnes between 2022 and 2024. Dinazzano Po chairman Gino Maioli linked the creation of the network to this trend, describing it as a shared response to a crisis affecting not only the region but also the national and European framework.
Roler aims to develop a more coordinated intermodal offer by drawing on the specialisations of the four member companies, so as to provide unified services to Emilia-Romagna’s production system and reduce fragmentation between the different components of the logistics chain. The network also plans to develop joint commercial initiatives targeting regional industry, with the aim of capturing traffic currently routed mainly by road and shifting a larger share to rail. In particular, the agreement seeks to enhance links with the port of Ravenna and the Brenner Pass.
A key infrastructure step in this development is the new terminal planned for 2027 at Interporto Bologna. The project, according to chairman Stefano Caliandro, includes five 750-metre tracks and two gantry cranes. He described the network contract as a step towards relaunching regional intermodality, noting that the companies based at Interporto generate more than €1.5 billion in turnover and 6,700 jobs. These figures confirm the weight of logistics in Emilia-Romagna’s economic fabric.
Rail Traction Company brings to the network its experience in rail and intermodal transport, particularly on routes across the Alps. CEO Martin Ausserdorfer noted that the group operates more than 15,000 trains a year and linked its participation in Roler to the opportunity to support the local system and regional exports. The rail operator’s contribution could be especially important in developing regular services to central European markets.
The port of Ravenna is also part of the network’s strategy through the role of Sapir, whose chairman, Riccardo Sabbadini, stressed that Roler is being established while the port is undergoing changes that could bring benefits for the port and regional logistics system. Sapir is carrying out a development and investment plan linked to areas with logistics and intermodal potential. Around 200 hectares of land suited to logistics and intermodal activities are available, with infrastructure and development works due to start soon. Sapir owns 100 hectares of these areas and intends to use them for logistics activities in which intermodal functions can be carried out. For the Roler network, these sites provide a physical base from which to expand the operational capacity of the port and regional system.
The contract also provides for a structured dialogue with the Regione Emilia-Romagna (Emilia-Romagna Region) and the Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mare Adriatico Centro Settentrionale (Port System Authority of the Central-Northern Adriatic Sea). The institutional discussions concern investment planning and the coordination of infrastructure policies, two central aspects in turning the agreement between companies into actual growth in rail freight traffic. The network therefore also aims to act as a single interlocutor for the public bodies involved in infrastructure planning.
