New railway connection between Ravenna and Modena (Marzaglia)

New railway connection between Ravenna and Modena (Marzaglia)

Growing synergy between the renowned ceramic district of Emilia Romagna and the Port of Ravenna: at the end of April, TCR witnessed the first journey of the third-party operated train connecting the terminal to the rail hub of Marzaglia.

The intermodal connection will run on a weekly basis during its initial phase, with the plan to increase capacity as demand grows. Growth expectations are for both the import and export market that complements TCR as the natural gateway port for the Emilian region.

Over 90% of ceramics production having a Mediterranean destination passes through the Port of Ravenna and in particular TCR. This is due to the wide range of maritime connections available from Contship’s Adriatic terminal, enabling containers to reach key Mediterranean countries, such as Egypt, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Cyprus, in a matter of days.

The first quarter of 2021 also experienced interesting growth in exports to the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, a market increasingly attracted by the quality of ‘Made in Italy’ ceramic wares and tiles.

The Port of Ravenna, with over 52% of total imports, is also the most important gateway for the arrival of raw materials used in the production of ceramics and tiles, including kaolin, feldspar, and clay.

A significant portion of these goods is handled via intermodal transport using rail wagons specifically designed for handling clay. In this regard, it is worth noting that Sapir is the reference terminal for this type of transportation.

In addition to the new service with Marzaglia, TCR’s intermodal offering is completed by connections to the Milan area, particularly to Segrate and the Rail Hub Milano in Melzo. The latter gives TCR international reach, with relays to Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Intermodal capability for TCR is not only an opportunity for traffic growth, but also a concrete commitment to sustainable logistics. The terminal has 5 tracks of 400 meters each and 2 rail-mounted gantry cranes (RMGs) dedicated to the handling of containers by train, enabling fast and efficient operations.

Another example whereby “We bring the ship to your factory”.