From road to rail
Since the ‘90s, the company’s management realised the motorway would sooner or later reach saturation. They understood they had to progressively shift long-distance freight transport to rail transport. They invested in the sector, first creating Str SpA and then Rtc Spa and Lokomotion GmbH, respectively working on either side of the Brennero and Tarvisio. On 15 October 2001, the first freight train departed from Munich Riem station to Verona, representing the start of a new phase and constant growth. On 15 October 2021, twenty years later, the company’s BoD voted to increase STR’s capital to purchase 75% of another rail company: In Rail SpA. The first routes were expended and integrated with new ones, resulting in a stronger railway asset which will continue being invested in. Autostrada del Brennero, via the Group, manages to shift around 1,000 freight trucks to rail a day. This saves a good 200,000 tons of CO2 a year. These figures will improve thanks to the construction of the Tunnel di Base del Brennero (BBT), which Autobrennero has been contributing to since the end of the 1990s. Thanks to the BBT, rail capacity will increase by 60-90 trains a day. The tunnel will remove the challenge of inclines, allowing for longer freight trains able to transport 20% more goods.
Intermodal hub
The challenge of the future will be to integrate different networks and communication systems. In light of this, Autostrada del Brennero is bolstering the Trento logistic centre and planning an intermodal hub in Isola della Scala together with Quadrante Europa. The hub will allow HGVs and trains to exchange freight. Isola della Scala is set strategically between northern and southern Europe and the East and the West. Autobrennero has its sights on the future and is looking to move beyond road and rail to waterways. The company’s projects include developing Valdaro Harbour, connecting Mantova to the sea via 136 km of channels without fluctuations, making them useable by vessels 365 days a year. Traffic from Valdaro harbour is constantly growing: in 2019 alone, 250,000 tons of goods transited there, growing to 754,000 in 2022. The hub will also host a trimodal infrastructure which will connect the waterways to the rail network and the A22.
Tunnel di base del Brennero – BBT
The railway will undergo numerous and significant changes in the areas directly touched by the A22. The main change will be the Tunnel di Base del Brennero, a massive project worth over 10 billion euro which is set to finish in 2032. It will reduce travel time and allow for longer trains to travel the route, going from today’s maximum 450 m to over 700 m. The tunnel will connect two countries, covering 55 km between Innsbruck (Austria) and Fortezza (Italy). The structure will feature two main, one-track tunnels. The main tunnels will be connected by bypasses every 333 m. There will also be four lateral access tunnels placed in Ampass, Ahrental, Wold, and Mules, connect the tunnel to the outside world. The contribution of Autostrada del Brennero to this project is significant and part of its long-term investments. The company’s revenue from managing the motorway has contributed significantly to a “Railway Fund” since 1988.
