About us: introducing

New path under construction in Gozzano (line Novara-Domodossola)

Innovative formulas for the intermodal rail service: the NORDOSSOLA case

Corridor 24: the terminals south of the Alps.

About us: Introducing

This site of communication originates from a private research project on intermodal transport along the North-south railway axis connecting the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea across the Swiss Alps, the so-called “European corridor TEN-T 24 Genoa - Rotterdam/Antwerp”.

The amount of freights carried by rail along this route has steadily increased at two-figure rates in the past years, taking over significant shares of road-transport market. This has been possible thanks to the policy of the Swiss Government which, in order to preserve the Alpine ecosystem, has imposed a tax over heavy traffic on motorways, thus quantifying its external costs in terms of infrastructure usage and environmental damages; in addition revenues have been assigned to developing the less polluting railway net, particularly the new Alp crossing basis-tunnels.
This action has had a strong effect on the choice of the carrier to move long-distance traffic to the railway, not only in Switzerland, but along the entire route.

The separation of infrastructure management and transport in the freight sector, and the subsequent private carriers’ free access to the railway net has further helped to reach better results in terms of productivity, cost-saving and competitiveness of trains, with respect to other means of transports. It is remarkable that on the Lötschberg Base Tunnel route, opened to traffic at the beginning of December 2007, on December 24 2008 the maximum capacity had already been reached, with 108 trains within the 24 hours.

The completion of the rail infrastructure on corridor 24, necessary for a full integration of the economic and the industrial systems of the connected areas, expected by 2020, still needs much work, especially in Italy, where the importance of railways is yet to be fully understood compared to other countries, where the system is already in use.

Therefore, we decided to share our curiosity and search results, and to create a service platform for those who are interested in the growth of the railway freight traffic along this route for business, environmental concerns, or because they are simply train fans.

In June 2009 construction works for the short-route in Gozzano on the line Novara-Borgomanero-Domodossola begun

The short-route cuts off a loop of the old line around the built-up area of Gozzano with a sharp bend, which is very damaging for the special bogies of the extra-low wagons of the Rolling Highway. The new tracks are laid between km.34+552 and km.37+799, and shall gain some 600 meters in regard to the old route. The station of the town shall be relocated and its two tracks shall be used as a crossing facility, according to the new standards of 750 meters length.
At the same time 8 level crossings shall be cancelled.
The line Novara-Borgomanero-Domodossola is single tracked, but it is part of the multi-line connection of the Loetschberg-Simplon route of the New Trans Alpine Railway with the Po Plain. It is completed by the line Domodossola-Novara via Arona-Oleggio to serve the terminal of Novara CIM, and in the future the marshalling yards in Alessandria and the terminals in Genoa too. Therefore, the line is equipped with SCMT and managed by a DCO (Central Operating Director) based in Borgomanero, thus allowing a good traffic control and good feasibility of scheduled timetable.

At the beginning of december 2009 the costruction is going on quite well, many concrete structures have been already finished and the detour of the former small river which ran in the place is fulfilled and renaturalized too.

A new update of april 2010 with images in italian text page.

see images and map in italian text page

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