RFI, approved project of upgrading projects to 740m train lenght of Pontedera and Palmanova Stations

In order to meet the demand of freight railway companies to run trains of 740 metres in length, and also comply with the infrastructure adaptation obligations set out in EU Regulation 1315/2013, Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) is carrying out interventions on the national network to adapt the lines to this standard. Making infrastructures more modern and accessible to longer, heavier and more highly performing trains will allow logistics operators to favour rail for the movement of goods, due to the reduction in the unit cost of the individual transported goods, which will contribute to the achievement of the modal shift objectives defined by the European Commission in its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (i.e. to increase rail freight traffic by 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050).

RFI’s “standard adaptation” interventions focus on the priority transport axes of Core Network Corridors and freight rail corridors, and, particularly, the main north-south connections for freight traffic.

According to the abovementioned needs, in line with the overall objectives defined by CEF Regulation, RFI proposed the project entitled “Upgrading projects to 740m train lenght of Pontedera and Palmanova Stations”. 

This project includes upgrading the Firenze-Pisa railway line belonging to the “Scandinavian-Mediterranean” TEN-T Core Corridor plus upgrading the Udine-Cervignano railway line belonging to the “Baltic-Adriatic” TEN-T Core Corridor.

The project contributes to adapting the TEN-T Central Network railway infrastructure for efficient and cost-effective freight transport, as well as military mobility for training and defence purposes, thus enabling the dual civil and defence use of the Firenze-Pisa railway line (connecting the Florence hub with the urban area of Pisa and the ports of Livorno and La Spezia) along with the Udine-Cervignano railway line (connecting the Udine junction with the urban area of Cervignano and the ports of Monfalcone and Trieste). The adaptation to 740 metres will be carried out in the Palmanova station with the extension of Tracks 1, 2, 3 and 4, and in the Pontedera station with the extension of Track 4. Adjustments of the safety, signalling and electric traction system shall be carried out for both stations.

The Project Coordinator is RFI (which is also a mono-beneficiary).

The total budget is 7.750 million euro, with 50% co-financed.

The project started on 1 January 2021 and finished on 29 February 2024, as planned in the Grant Agreement.

Objectives achieved and Benefits: 

Works in the Pontedera and Palmanova stations were made to carry out infrastructure works, in line with European standards, to allow the circulation of trains with a length of 740 metres, as required by TEN-T Regulation 1328/2021 and in line with Regulation (EU) 2021/1328. 

In particular:

Palmanova

The upgrading interventions of the Baltic-Adriatic Core Network Corridor, of which the intervention at Palmanova is part, allow an increase in modal shift, with unquestionable environmental benefits, on the railway lines supplying the Port of Trieste, the Cervignano Shunting Yard and Udine terminals, and the border crossings with Austria and Slovenia.

Palmanova Station is situated along the Udine-Cervignano railway line and belongs to both the Baltic-Adriatic Core Network Corridor and the Military TEN-T Network. This intervention enables the civilian defence dual-use of the Udine-Cervignano railway line, which connects the node of Udine with the urban area of Cervignano and the ports of Monfalcone and Trieste.

The intervention at Palmanova allows the rail infrastructure to accommodate trains with a length of up to 740 metres, as well as with profiles and axial weights that meet the European standards for the TEN-T Corridors. The infrastructure is located on the single-track line towards the Vat Control Point-Cervignano Shunting Yard and Udine-Cervignano-Aquileia-Grado Station. The infrastructure is included in the list of Loading Plans of the Armed Forces (PCM). Thanks to this intervention, the installation of systems with a train reception capacity of up to 740 metres in length completed in relations between the crossings with Austria and Slovenia and the Port of Trieste system.

Pontedera

The upgrading interventions of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor, of which the Pontedera intervention is part, play an essential role in the intermodal transport of goods to and from the Port of La Spezia, as the second most important Italian port for container transport by rail. Pontedera Station is situated along the Florence-Pisa railway line and belongs to both the ScanMed Core Network Corridor and the Military TEN-T Network. Upgrading of the Pontadera railway station aimed to improve both civil and military mobility by upgrading the rail infrastructure to allow the operation of 740-metre-long trains, according to the dual-use standard set by the EU Regulation 2021/1328. This intervention will enable the civilian-defence dual-use of the Florence-Pisa railway line, which connects the node of Florence with the urban centre of Pisa, and the ports of Livorno and La Spezia. 

The main civilian benefits arising from the Pontedera upgrade, combined with the future upgrading of Empoli Station (expected to be completed by 2026), consist in the operation of longer freight trains from the Port of Livorno and from the Guasticce Intermodal Terminal to the north-eastern Italian industrial districts via Florence, and will thus contribute to the modal shift from road to rail and to the achievement of the EU goal of carbon neutrality. 

The goal of the intervention was the extension of the 4th platform of Pontedera Station, adapting it to the 740-metre train length standard, in order to improve the traffic flows of the entire network. The achievement of this goal was necessary to move the signalling communications on the Florence side and the Pisa side to ensure that a stopping track of the desired length can be created between the external exchanges.