Terminal and logistics operator PSA Italy announced the launch of its Stuttgart Express rail service, which will connect PSA Genova Pra’ terminal with Stuttgart in Southern Germany twice weekly, according to the company's release.
To run for the first time on May 4th 2023, the service will provide a fast, reliable, cost effective and sustainable alternative to transporting containers to and from this region by road.
The Stuttgart Express is the second international round trip container rail service that PSA Italy operates directly from its Genova Pra’ terminal. In 2018, it had launched the thrice- weekly ‘Southern Express’ service that links the Genova port with Basel in Switzerland.
The up-to-500 metres long train will transport containers between the Italian coast and Southern Germany with a transit time of less than 24 hours. PSA Italy expects 94 percent of trains to arrive within two hours of the scheduled arrival time at a cost that is significantly lower than transporting a container by road.
The Stuttgart Express will help companies reach their sustainability targets by facilitating a modal shift from road to rail. According to an accredited tool developed by the environmental NGO Ecotransit World, switching from trucks to the Stuttgart Express will reduce carbon emissions by 83 percent and energy consumption by 49 percent, compared to transporting containers by road along the Transalpine corridor.
The capacity and efficiency of both Stuttgart and Southern Express services will increase in the next couple of years with two planned upgrades. Firstly, the Italian railway infrastructure provider RFI will lay an additional 750 metres of rail tracks in PSA Genova Pra’ terminal (as part of its expansion of the nearby Voltri station). Secondly, the third Pass of the Trans European Transport Network (TEN-T) Rhine-Alpine Core Corridor rail line (also known as Terzo Valico) will become operational.
These two upgrades combined will allow Stuttgart and Southern Express block trains to extend to 750 metres in length.
PSA Italy is a member of PSA International (PSA). With flagship operations in Singapore and Antwerp, PSA’s global network encompasses 160 locations in 42 countries around the world. The Group’s portfolio comprises over 60 deepsea, rail and inland terminals, as well as affiliated businesses in supply chain management, logistics, marine and digital services.