La Spezia port supports upgrade of Pontremolese railway line

the railway transport line that connects Parma with the Tyrrhenian ridge near La Spezia. Carla Roncallo said that La Spezia port was already active in the rail sector, with over 30% of goods traveling by train. She added that further rail usage could only make the port more competitive. The Pontremolese proposal represents the connection of the ports of La Spezia and Marina di Carrara with the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor Ten-T transport corridor. President Roncallo added that an improved connection would allow further development of the handling of goods by rail and ensure efficient connectivity by train to Northern Italy and Central Europe of one of the main gateways in the Mediterranean area for the Far East. The Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor is a crucial north-south axis for the European economy. Crossing the Baltic Sea from Finland to Sweden and passing through Germany, the Alps and Italy, it links the major urban centres and ports of Scandinavia and Northern Germany to continue to the industrialised high production centres of Southern Germany, Austria and Northern Italy further to the Italian ports and Valletta. It extends, across the sea, from Southern Italy and Sicily to Malta. It is essential for any port interested in handling more cargo to develop efficient rail links with central and northern European logistics hubs. This applies particularly to the opportunity offered by the new Silk Road. The new Silk Road, also known as The Belt and Road, One Belt, One Road (abbreviated OBOR) or the Belt and Road Initiative, is a Chinese development strategy and framework that focuses on connectivity and cooperation among countries primarily between China and the rest of Eurasia, which consists of two main components, the land-based “Silk Road Economic Belt” (SREB) and oceangoing “Maritime Silk Road” (MSR). The strategy includes acquiring stakes in ports and other transport facilities to improve and speed up the transport of goods between China and Europe. Source: Autorita’di Sistema Portuale del Mar Ligure Orientale Copyright (C) PortSEurope. All Rights Reserved. 2019.