FS and MSC sign a MoU to build new terminals dedicated to intermodal maritime traffic
A NewCo has been formed to expand the freight transport logistics network between ports in Italy and the rest of Europe. An MoU was signed in Geneva in the presence of Luigi Ferraris, CEO of FS, and Gianluigi Aponte Chairman of the MSC Group
Rome and Geneva, November 15th, 2023
Developing intermodal sea and rail transport with greater and more effective synergies to expand the freight transport logistics network to and from Italian and European ports, with the creation of a Newco to build new terminals.
This is the primary objective of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Geneva by Sabrina De Filippis, CEO of Mercitalia Logistics, leader of the FS Italiane Group’s Logistics Business Division, and Giuseppe Prudente, Chief Logistics Officer of MSC and President of MEDLOG, in the presence of Luigi Ferraris, CEO of the FS Group, and Gianluigi Aponte, Chairman of the MSC Group.
“The Memorandum signed today with a major international partner, confirms the FS Group’s commitment to becoming the European logistics player”, commented Sabrina De Filippis, CEO of Mercitalia Logistics. “The agreement is part of the initiatives envisaged in our Business Plan, providing for the strengthening of existing terminals and the creation of new technologically advanced and low environmental impact multimodal hubs. This will enable us to increase the volume of goods transported by train, thanks to the increasingly effective connection of our ports and terminals to the national network and to European railway corridors, consolidating the integration of sea-rail-road transport systems.”
The agreement provides for the establishment of a new company jointly owned by Mercitalia Logistics (51%) and MEDLOG (49%), an MSC Group company specializing in intermodal transport and logistics, to design, build and operate new cargo terminals at sites controlled by the two groups in Italy.
“We strongly believe in the partnership between our Groups”, said Giuseppe Prudente, Chief Logistics Officer of the MSC Group and President of MEDLOG. “This important agreement is the result of a project that began with the ambition of creating one of the most important operators in Europe, offering customers optimized and ever more sustainable logistics solutions. In addition, reducing the use of long-distance road transport contributes not only to lowering emissions but also to greater safety and quality of life for our employees.”
The Memorandum follows another agreement signed between the two companies in September last year, which laid the foundation for an assessment of possibility and mutual interest in creating a commercial and operational partnership for the development of combined maritime transport.
The collaborative effort will enable the creation of new terminal capacity based on the development of maritime intermodal traffic, to and from Italian ports, improving the quality of services and providing a competitive alternative to road transport as well as on the Italy-Northern Europe axis.
These initiatives are part of the joint mission of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and MSC Group to support the development of the Italian economy through greater use of rail mobility, which is a much more environmentally sustainable approach to moving goods and people.