Sea-Rail Intermodal Transport in Italian Gateway Ports: A Sustainable Solution? The Examples of La Spezia and Trieste

The paper tackles the issue related to the sea-rail intermodal transport in gateway ports. In recent years there has been a renewed interest in land connections and therefore hinge functions, recalling the logic for which the most competitive ports are those equipped with an articulated and efficient network of internal connections. This attention requires an in-depth study of port intermodality and mutual interactions with the territories served by the port. This paper is focused on rail intermodality for container handling, recognizing the gateway port as a strategic node whose competitiveness increasingly depends on sustainable intermodal transport solutions to and from the hinterland. This is also due to the growing attention to green transport solutions such as rail. After highlighting the distinctive features of gateway ports and their key functions, attention is focused on the main Italian ports that play this role. In particular, this study explores the ports of La Spezia and Trieste due to their aptitude for intermodal rail traffic in relation to the hinterland. In both cases, the share of combined sea-rail transport and the importance of rail transport use in terms of environmental sustainability will be evaluated through an ad hoc tool (EcoTransIT World).