Italian rail logistics is looking to shift gear with Binario Italia, the newly formed body unveiled on 11 April 2025 in Rome, created to promote a coordinated and shared approach to strengthening rail freight transport through closer engagement with institutions. Agens, Assoferr, Assologistica, Fercargo and Fermerci, the founding associations, together represent more than four hundred companies in the sector. By joining forces, they aim to promote a comprehensive plan of action capable of delivering tangible results in both the short and long term. The project was presented at the CNEL headquarters in the presence of the leaders of the founding organisations: Sabrina De Filippis for Agens, Armando De Girolamo for Assoferr, Umberto Ruggerone for Assologistica, Mauro Pessano for Fercargo and Clemente Carta for Fermerci.
At the core of the initiative is the drafting of a joint document that will serve as a platform for dialogue with the government, with the aim of placing freight rail transport at the heart of national development policies. Rail logistics is not merely a technical option, but a crucial lever for the competitiveness and sustainability of the entire production system. The initiative's promoters highlight that every kilometre travelled by a freight train, compared to the equivalent journey by road, yields an average saving of 15.30 euros in external costs, such as those related to pollution, energy consumption and road congestion. Applied to the distances covered annually across the country, this translated into a total benefit of over 780 million euros in 2024 alone.
Yet despite these advantages, the sector continues to suffer from a structural competitive gap. Binario Italia points out that operating costs are higher, profit margins are lower, and infrastructure is not always adequate. These factors make rail freight transport less competitive than other modes, penalising intermodality and hindering the development of more modern and efficient logistics solutions. In the face of this situation, the associations behind Binario Italia are issuing a clear call: there is a need for stable and reliable regulations designed to encourage investment. At the same time, urgent action is required to prevent current difficulties from triggering a collapse of the system.
