Lugo Terminal, one of the Italian companies that was hit the hardest by the floods in Italy at the end of May, is now providing rail freight services for non-cranable semi-trailers. The new initiative is part of the increased frequency and extension of Lugo’s service between Parma and Giovinazzo, along the TEN-T Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor.

The Parma-Giovinazzo service had three weekly roundtrips up until this week. From Monday 10 June, there are two additional roundtrips, with trains continuing their ride until Brindisi, 180 kilometres south of Giovinazzo. These two new departures are the ones where Lugo will accommodate non-cranable semi-trailers. This, as a spokesperson from Lugo highlighted, is the first time that the company offers these kinds of services.

Lugo is able to transport non-cranable semi-trailers thanks to the purchase of new wagons. The spokesperson pointed out that Lugo is ready to extend this type of service to other destinations in the company’s network. Other than market demands, this new initiative aims to be a remedy to the current truck driver shortage that is afflicting Italy as well as Europe a a whole.

The floods in Italy in May

The Italian region of Emilia Romagna, in the northeast, was hit by catastrophic flooding that caused 14 victims and stranded tens of thousands at the end of May. Lugo Terminal, located in the city of Lugo, which was one of the areas most affected by the floods, experienced significant problems. However, the company was resilient enough to restart services in a couple of weeks.

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