The Port of Venice is equipped with over 65 km of internal railway network, its own freight terminal, and connects with the rest of Europe through railway corridors of international importance.
The railway district of the port of Venice
The Port of Venice has experienced continuous growth over the last decade until 2018 when it achieved the highest traffic volume in the history of the Port of Venice for 4-axle or more railcars (with over 100,754 railcars handled in a single maneuver, a growth of 11.3% compared to 2017), moving a total of 2,596,742.96 tons (an increase of 11.2%). This is equivalent to approximately 5,543 trains per year managed at the Marghera Scalo station.
Several factors have contributed to this increase, including investments in improving the railway network, appropriate tariff policies, investments in enhancing the organization of rolling stock management within the company, and the availability of human resources.
During the three-year period from 2019 to 2022, certain significant external events, such as the bankruptcy of a major operator at the Port of Marghera, the Covid pandemic, and the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, led to a decline in traffic, resulting in the following figures for 2022: 2.1 million tons transported by rail and 4,440 trains.
The Railway District of Venice Marghera Scalo (as defined in Order No. 3/2017 by the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority), which falls entirely within the port area, consists of a network of tracks that connect the port terminals and industrial firms (comprising 27 connections, 19 of which are active) with the rail yards and the Venice Marghera Scalo railway station. It spans approximately 65 kilometers in total, with some sections owned by the government and others owned by the municipality.
The District consists of::
- Venezia Marghera Scalo, This is a freight station where trains arriving and departing from the rail connections within the port area are handled. It connects the Venezia Marghera Scalo District to the national rail network via the Venezia Mestre-Venezia Marghera Scalo line;
- Support Yards dThese include Parco Breda, Parco Nuovo, and Parco Petroli, which are areas designed to support the rail operations within the District;
- Raccordo Base, this connection, originating from the Venezia-Mestre station, interconnects Venezia Marghera Scalo Station, various yards, and rail connections. It also interfaces with the road system, providing a combined transportation network.
