The new terminal of Hupac in the northern Italian city of Pordenone has proven its potential since the opening this May. Starting with a series of domestic train, it now handles seven trains per week in the direction of Germany, Belgium and eventually the UK. Next destinations on the agenda are Rotterdam, Poland and Serbia.

“The terminal of Pordenone has started operations end of July 2019 and is now developing to become one of the most relevant intermodal platform in north-east Italy” says Hupac, which operates the terminal. Accordingly, it has the potential to increase in the medium term up to the full capacity of ca. 40 trains per week.

Zeebrugge/UK

The latest addition was the connection via Novara and Zeebrugge to the UK. This intermodal biweekly service route was launched on 27 September in cooperation with  Interporto Pordenone, Lineas and Hupac. The service will be curated by Codognotto, a local Treviso-based transport and logistics group. In Zeebrugge, a ferry service enables the shipment to the UK.

In an interview with the Italian Telenord, Giuseppe Bortolussi of Interporto Pordenone called the cooperation a “concrete response to Brexit”, as the road is currently already jammed with road hauliers, something which is expected to become more when border procedures may take longer in the face of the UK leaving the EU.

One of the major customers of the service is Electrolux, which puts its washing machines on the train. “To achieve our sustainability targets, our operational priority is to expand our intermodal flows. The possibilities of rail and road transport are examined everywhere and, where possible, put into operation with priority”, commented Nico van den Berg of the manufacturer.

Network

The connection with Novara is key in the portfolio of the Pordenone network. From this Northern Italian hub numerous destinations can be reached, such as Ludwigshaven, Koln, Hannover and Malmo. However, the terminal also offers a direct connection to Duisburg, launched on 16 September. This service departs from Pordenone three times per week.

The terminal is located about 90km from the port of Venice and 120km from the port of Trieste. The strategic position at the junction between the Adriatic-Baltic and Mediterranean Rail Freight Corridors enables connections to north and south-east Europe, to Russia, CIS countries and the Far East as well as to numerous domestic destinations in Italy.

Design

The terminal is designed with 800 metre long sidings according to the corridor parameter of 740 metre-long trains and has an efficient digital system, says Hupac. It will soon be available for the shipment of dangerous goods. It is located inside the Interporto of Pordenone and can directly be reached from the motorway, allowing road vehicles to easily access trains.