E-commerce goods moving between Italy and Germany will now be transported via rail, thanks to a new partnership between Amazon and Italian state railways Ferrovie dello Stato (FS). This will reduce the reliance on international road routes and will cut CO2 emissions by up to 9,000 metric tons annually compared to traditional road freight, according to FS.
The first routes will be between Duisburg, Germany, to Pomezia, Italy, and Herne, Germany, to Verona, Italy. FS subsidiary Mercitalia Intermodal will handle three trains per week on the first route, while TX Logistik will manage six trains weekly on the latter.
“Italy’s geography and strong Alpine connections position it as a key player in unlocking the benefits of a growing intermodal rail sector,” Lorenzo Barbo, CEO of Amazon Italia Logistics, told Trans.Info. “Expanding our collaboration with Mercitalia allows us to further develop sustainable logistics practices and increase rail freight between our European sites.”
Sabrina De Filippis, CEO of Mercitalia Logistics, added, “Rail connections to and from Germany are part of our strategic plan, in line with the European objective of having 30% of goods travel by train by 2030.”