Following are the interventions identified in the short-medium and long term to respond to the continuous development of railway traffic.
The Port of Venice has witnessed a consistent increase in railway traffic in recent years. In order to respond adequately to this growth in traffic, optimizing and enhancing existing connections, as well as developing new railway infrastructure, a memorandum of understanding was signed on 08.02.2018 between Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A. and the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority. This memorandum pertains to “Infrastructure Enhancement Projects to Support the Development of the Northern Adriatic Sea Port System.”
The short to medium-term enhancement projects include:
- Enhancement of the Venice Marghera Scalo station with an increase in capacity and the implementation of the European module on some tracks;
- Expansion of Parco Breda, involving the construction of a new station.
The long-term enhancement projects involve the creation of a new multimodal connection of the port network to the national road and railway network (the A4 motorway and the Venice-Milan railway line). This project is already included in the work plans of the TEN-T Mediterranean and Adriatic-Baltic corridors. It also includes the development of an intermodal platform within the port area directly connected to the new station.
The interventions identified in the short to medium term
This project, part of the MISE Agreement (January 2015), includes the doubling of the track and the reduction of interference with the road system.
This project involves the electrification and centralization of 7 additional tracks, the adaptation of 4 tracks to a 750-meter module, and the construction of a new centralized command and control system.
The project includes the construction of a controlled yard through the central apparatus of Venice Mestre, consisting of 7 centralized tracks, 3 of which are electrified, and 2 equipped with signaling systems for arrivals and departures.
This project aims to eliminate the double maneuvering of railway convoys at the Mestre Station. It will yield multiple benefits in terms of capacity and port system safety, reduce the number of interferences between the road and railway networks, and reduce the overall time required for railway maneuvers in the southwest part of the port, where 40% of the total port traffic is generated.
The interventions identified in the long term
The long-term projects involve establishing new connections between the port network and the national railway network. These connections are essential to meet the development prospects of the port, which will see the center of traffic shifting to the south, with which a joint working group is established with “the aim of finding resources also within the community with regards to the design relating to the new multimodal corridor and the new intermodal platform, and subsequently to follow the technical evolution and phases approval by all interested parties”.
To this end, in 2021 a new protocol was signed between NASPA, RFI, CAV, the Municipality of Venice, the Metropolitan City, the Veneto Region for the design and construction of a new multimodal connection between the southern area of the port and the Venice railway line -Padua and the national road system and an intermodal platform.
Further internal upgrades to the District’s railway network are also being evaluated, aimed at completing the doubling of the line, reducing maneuvering times and limiting interference with the road system.