Amazon signed an agreement with the Italian state-owned rail freight group Mercitalia. The contract envisioned the rail transportation of goods between Amazon’s distribution centres in Italy and Germany.
The two routes selected start are Pomezia-Duisburg and Verona-Herne. The e-commerce giant has distribution centres in all four locations involved in the initiative. For the Pomezia-Duisburg itinerary, there will be three trains per week operated by Mercitalia Intermodal. On the Verona-Herne axis, six weekly roundtrips are scheduled, with the service being handled by TX Logistik, the international arm of Mercitalia.
This project can be considered as another stepping stone in Amazon’s quest to increase the use of rail and intermodality for its transport solutions in Europe. Throughout 2023, the company said that rail and sea transportation increased by 50 per cent, with trucks retaining a key role when it comes to first and last-mile operations. Amazon Italy Logistics’ CEO Lorenzo Barbo highlighted how this project is a continuation of an agreement signed with Mercitalia in 2021.
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