ÖBB’s Italy-Austria customs-free rail freight corridor finally activated
The initiative between the port of Trieste, in northeastern Italy, and the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) for faster customs procedures is finally up and running, and this is how it works. Goods arriving by ship at Dock VII of the Italian port, where the Trieste Marine Terminal (TMT) is located, will be transshipped on trains without undergoing customs clearance. This action will be carried out at the Logistik Center Austria Süd (LCA) in Villach/Fürnitz in an attempt to decongest Trieste.
The project was announced in November 2022 and is the first of its kind between different EU countries. Despite not going through customs clearance, the goods will still be checked for safety. The first journey was completed on Thursday 14 December. For the Italian section, traction is provided by Rail Cargo Carrier Italy, while in Austria the train will be taken over by Rail Cargo Group, both rail freight subsidiaries of ÖBB.
RCG, the port of Trieste and the Trieste Marine Terminal were contacted for further information but no answer has been provided as of yet. Only time will now tell if this is a cross-border initiative that can be extended elsewhere in the Union. There are some services already active to ‘move’ customs procedures from congested ports to the hinterland in Italy. For example, MSC activated a Fast Corridor from the port of Gioia Tauro, in the south, to the Bologna Freight Village in July 2022.
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