The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) will invest 38,8 million francs (39.5 million euros) to build a transshipment facility in Domodossola, one of the most active rail freight hubs in Italy. The facility in Domodossola is currently managed by CargoBeamer, a German specialist in the transportation of non-cranable semi-trailers.
The FOT said that the new facility would boost rail freight traffic along the Simplon-Lötschberg axis, one of the main rail border crossings between Italy and Switzerland. The new transshipment hub will consist of two 700-metre double-tracks. The total cost to build it is 67,1 million francs (68.4 million euros). It is not clear if CargoBeamer will cover the remaining 29 million euros necessary to finance the initiative. It is also not yet clear when the facility will be commissioned.
Switzerland investing abroad
The initiative to invest in the terminal in Domodossola is part of a larger Swiss strategy to finance rail freight projects in its neighbouring countries. For example, the FOT is also pouring 67 million euros into the construction of a new rail terminal near Milan, which will be equipped with two six-track bundles and six gantry cranes to handle 750-metre-long trains. Moreover, the Helvetic Federation claimed to be ready and willing to finance infrastructure projects along the Rhine-Alpine TEN-T Corridor in France and Italy.
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