La Spezia Container Terminal (LSCT), a subsidiary of Contship Italia, was granted 160 million to strengthen the rail infrastructure of the port of La Spezia, 100 kilometres from Genoa. The money will be used to finance the projects included in the investment plan that LSCT perfected last July with the collaboration of the East Ligurian Sea Port Authority.

The investment will aim at building a new quay, a new operational yard, and the purchase of various new cranes, including some automatic stacking cranes (ASC). Once completed, the project is expected to boost rail freight in the port from 33 to 50 per cent, for a total of 2 million TEUs planned to be handled.

The money is warranted by the Deposits and Loans Fund (CDP), the European Investment Bank (BEI), and Intesa Sanpaolo, an international banking group with its headquarters in Turin. The duration of the financing will be 15 years. Contship Italia was contacted for more information on the projects, but has been so far unable to provide it.

The port of La Spezia

Rail freight plays a significant role in the port of La Spezia. Almost one-third of the goods handled in total in the port are moved on the 17-kilometres-long railway track. This is made possible by the presence of three railway yards (la Spezia Marittima, La Spezia Migliarina, and S. Stefano Magra) and five sidings (Molo Fornelli, Molo Ravano, Terminal del Golfo, Molo Garibaldi e Calata Paita).

LSCT is Contship’s regional Gateway Container Terminal in La Spezia and it was launched in 1987. The company can count on great rail connections to the north of Italy, and therefore to the rest of Europe, thanks to its rail hub in Melzo, near Milan.

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