The ubiquity of the national rail network and its access points, passenger stations and freight facilities, finds the integration with other modes of transport - and public transport in particular - an increased attractiveness factor, providing door-to-door solutions focused on rail transport, for a more sustainable and efficient mobility system.

From an inter-modality standpoint, stations can take on a central role in a mobility system that promotes the use of public, shared and active means of transport, contributing to medium- and long-term sustainability. Stations can become the hubs of a new mobility model, integrated with the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (PUMS) (1) of the municipalities where the station is located.

By monitoring the journeys to/from the station of travellers interviewed as part of the customer satisfaction surveys and the analysis of mobility data, we can identify concrete actions for improving the travel experience. Data from 2023 show that the main method to get to the station remains walking, used by around 40% of cases, followed by biking and mopeds; there is also an increase in public transport used in 21% of cases, and train, used in 10% of cases. While the use of private cars stands at around 25%, a lower value compared to the previous year. Overall, these figures show that pandemic-induced habits are gradually being overcome, with a significant increase in the use of public transport even compared to the pre-covid period.

In light of the foregoing, RFI's main fronts of intervention to support the evolution of the trend towards more sustainable mobility choices, also concern the development of intermodality, through the integrated design of infrastructures and services connecting the station to the city, works on station forecourts to optimise road, bicycle and pedestrian accesses for travellers, and the creation and implementation of public and collective, shared (car sharing, etc.), soft and active (bicycles, pedestrians, etc.), and low impact (electric vehicle recharging stations, etc.) mobility services.

These infrastructural actions are complemented by 'management' measures, such as the integration of the railway timetable with that of other local public transport modes.

On the other hand, intermodality in freight transport is achieved in freight villages, rail-road terminals and ports, where cargo units from ships are loaded onto trains towards inland destinations.

Note:

(1) Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Ministerial Decree of 4 August 2017 "Identification of the guidelines for urban sustainable mobility plans, pursuant to Article 3 (7) of Legislative Decree No. 257 of 16 December 2016"