CargoBeamer, managing a rail hub's intermodal transshipment terminal for semi-trailers (including non-craneable ones) in Domodossola, is set to enhance its operations with the support from the Swiss government. This funding, amounting to 38.8 million Swiss francs (€39,543,834), will be disbursed by the Federal Office of Transport. According to the department, the new terminal will serve the Lötschberg–Simplon axis, facilitating the rail transfer of semi-trailers and containers, thereby offsetting what would have been 185,000 road transports.
The new Domodossola intermodal terminal is to feature two tracks, each with double platforms and stretching 700 meters in length. Containers will be transshipped on one side, and semi-trailers on the other, utilizing twenty-four modules that enable the loading and unloading of even non-craneable semi-trailers through a horizontal loading system. An affiliate of CargoBeamer will operate the facility and is obligated to reimburse the Swiss Confederation should it fail to meet a predefined minimum quantity of transshipments. The total cost of the project is estimated at €68,380,288.
This investment by the Confederation is based on Article 8 of the Goods Transport Act, which has previously facilitated funding for the construction of other terminals abroad, including Italian locations in Gallarate, Piacenza, Milan-Smistamento, German sites in Duisburg and Singen, and the Belgian port of Antwerp. In 2022, these facilities collectively handled the equivalent of 1.05 million containers, underscoring Switzerland's commitment to promoting sustainable transport solutions across Europe.
