The Italian infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) will cooperate with Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico (RSE) in the context of magnetic levitation for rail freight. The tests will take place at RFI’s closed circuit in Bologna San Donato so that traffic is not disrupted.
The initiative revolves around the so-called Pipe§net technology, “which uses magnetic levitation and electric motor propulsion”, RFI’s mother company Ferrovie dello Stato pointed out. These kinds of technologies would allow for significantly faster rail freight transport, which would benefit the delivery of medical goods and other items which require immediate use.
Italy seems to be at the forefront of magnetic levitation technology applied to the rail freight industry. Other than this collaboration between RFI and RSE, there is a project led by IronLev which does not require infrastructure upgrades. These tests were carried out last May along the Adria-Mestre line near Venice.
