Hupac to construct two new intermodal terminals in Italy
Since combined transport on the north-south axis, especially via the Alps, is crucial for Hupac, the Swiss intermodal operator will continue to invest in developing its terminal network in this direction. At least, two new terminals will be erected in Italy by 2025. Some investments have been already scheduled in Poland, Germany, Switzerland and other European countries.
Hupac, a leading Swiss intermodal operator, has outlined its key investments until 2026. “The core elements are the demand-oriented development of a network for combined transport, partnership with the railways and investments in own resources such as terminals, rail wagons and IT,” the company stated.
As for the development of the terminal network, Hupac is planning to implement several projects. By 2025, two new large intermodal facilities will be constructed in north Italy, namely at the stations of Milano Smistamento and Piacenza. They will be built and operated in partnership with Mercitalia Logistics, a dedicated subsidiary of Mercitalia Group (Gruppo FS Italiane).
Also, Hupac is constructing its first intermodal terminal in Poland, in Brwinów near Warsaw. The project will be completed by the year’s end. Another investment is the equipment of the Novara CIM terminal with gantry cranes by 2025. This will allow the Swiss operator to significantly increase the capacity of the existing facility. Furthermore, Hupac will participate in the two construction projects: the Duisburg Gateway Terminal in Germany (by 2025) and the Basel North Gateway in Switzerland (by 2026).
Investments in other areas
Hupa’s investments in other areas include digital transformation and enlargement of the wagon fleet. The first point is about the standardisation of the data formats in the European combined transport market. Together with partners, Hupac has been investing in the EDIGES consortium since 2019 to drive forward cross-sector digitalisation. The newly developed system will enable seamless tracking of the intermodal chain and facilitate its management. In 2022, a joint operating company will be founded to promote the use and further development of the system as an open platform. As for the wagon fleet, it will be increased by another 1,000 own units as well as additional rented wagons by 2026 (the current company’s fleet consists of around 8,100 wagons).
Growing demand for combined transport
In 2021 Hupac moved 1,123,600 road consignments in combined road/rail transport and maritime inland transport. This means an increase of 10.7 per cent or around 100,000 trucks compared to the previous year. By reaching such a result, the Swiss company exceeded the pre-pandemic traffic volume by almost 10 per cent. More than half of the company’s combined transport volume, or 597,500 road consignments, is generated by the Trans-Alpine traffic via Switzerland (an increase of 11 per cent) or Austria (an increase of 7.8 per cent).
Therefore, the mentioned investments in the terminal network are important for the Swiss company. “Hupac’s growth strategy is based on strengths that have been built up over many years. Strategy 2026 focuses on strengthening the core business on the north-south axis and expanding the network to axes with great growth potentials such as south-east, south-west and north-east Europe,” Hupac specified. The intermodal operator is also focused on connecting its network to the key ports in Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.
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