1. Summary
The GeTRI (Cross-border Management Transport of Inert Waste Intermodal) project, renamed SWITCH at the communication level, made it possible to verify the technical and economic feasibility of the intermodal transport of aggregates and inert waste between Canton Ticino and Lombardy, thanks to a rich action plan which made it possible to achieve all the objectives set.
GeTRI has created knowledge and support tools for programming in the management of transport of aggregates, studying the use of intermodal systems that provide for the integration of road transport with rail transport, in order to optimize the transport of virgin aggregates from Italy to Switzerland and inert waste from Switzerland to Italy.
The GeTRI project was completed on schedule and achieving all the planned objectives, allowing for the creation of a large amount of documentation and valuable materials (3 Brochures, 4 scientific articles, Guidelines for the intermodal transport of aggregates, a book on the intermodal transport of aggregates published by Guerini Ed., a technical report on the standards, a technical report on the transport of aggregates, a report on BAT for the logistics of aggregates, a technical-economic feasibility study of intermodal transport, a simulation software, 3 information videos, website, social profiles, an operational protocol for the intermodal transport of aggregates) which were disseminated in a limited time without allowing the results to be exploited operationally.
Finally, a draft of the “Memorandum of understanding for the intermodal transport of aggregates” was drawn up, illustrated in the final conference of the project, which needs to be refined and shared with the institutional subjects involved at all levels so that it can serve as a basis for facilitation agreements of this innovative and sustainable mode of transport.
2. Contribution to economic, social and territorial cohesion
The policies developed by the European Union in the transport sector aim at a substantial reduction in the market share of road haulage, above all for environmental reasons. Rail freight transport is an energy efficient, economical and sustainable mode, the use of which is encouraged by European transport policy. Aggregates represent about 30% of the goods moved between Switzerland and Italy and are transported exclusively by road.
A priority for the EU is to shift a substantial part of the 75 % of inland freight transport which today takes place by road to rail and inland waterways. Both in Switzerland and in Italy, environmental regulations provide for a decisive push towards the recovery of inert waste as recycled aggregates and therefore a reduction in their disposal in landfills, in compliance with the waste management hierarchy which sees minimization in first place, followed by reuse and recycling and disposal only as a last resort. In the vision of the European Green Deal, therefore, it will be necessary to strengthen the bilateral dialogue with partner countries, establishing, where necessary, innovative collaboration mechanisms.
From the analysis of the infrastructural, logistic and economic feasibility of intermodal transport, it emerged that the territory jointly sees the presence of solid network management companies, two usable railway lines, numerous infrastructural efficiency interventions carried out or planned for the future on the two slopes, adequate railway terminals and high skills of all stakeholders involved in the project. The complexity of the issue and the shared management of goods flows, customs gates and railway networks make it impossible to tackle the problem independently for the two borders involved.
3. Local and regional impact of the project and the quality of the final results
The topic of transport and management of virgin aggregates and inert waste strongly interests the Lombardy Region and the Canton of Ticino, which have signed the cross-border coordination agreement for the management of inert materials between the Lombardy Region and the Canton of Ticino and are already collaborating, also with the Province of Varese, at the Aggregate Question Table at the Regio Insubrica.
The project results have been instrumental in the creation of cross-border added value. The foundations have been laid to strengthen the matrix of cross-border contacts and connections and energy can be given to systematic comparison in order to make the modal shift possible on both sides through the adoption of an integrated intermodal system that leverages the mechanisms of identified planning and management.
The actions developed were designed with a view to increasing the possibility of developing a cross-border stakeholder networking, to increase cooperation opportunities by expanding the pool of potential users or interested parties. This enlargement constitutes the necessary rationale for future collaborations and initiatives to enhance the modal shift both from the point of view of services and infrastructural interventions where necessary.
The GeTRI project was completed on schedule and achieving all the planned objectives, allowing for the creation of a large amount of documentation and valuable materials: 3 Brochures, 4 scientific articles, Guidelines for the intermodal transport of aggregates, a book on the intermodal transport of aggregates published by Guerini Ed., a technical report on the standards, a technical report on the transport of aggregates, a report on BAT for the logistics of aggregates, a technical-economic feasibility study of intermodal transport, a simulation software, 3 information videos, website, social profiles, an operational protocol for the intermodal transport of aggregates.
4. Innovation and impactful
From the analysis of the infrastructural, logistic and economic feasibility of intermodal transport, it emerged that the territory jointly sees the presence of solid network management companies, two usable railway lines, infrastructural efficiency interventions carried out or planned for the future on both sides , adequate railway terminals and high skills of all stakeholders involved in the project. Unlike the road haulage chain, where the points of origin/destination were quarries (in Italy) and platforms (in Switzerland), in the case of intermodal transport, unitized loads converge towards a terminal to be loaded onto the train, or on the ground waiting for the train. The result is a more complex organization of transport, with a double movement of the ITUs in the two departure and arrival terminals, which impacts on the organizational complexity together with the number of subjects involved for the efficient organization of transport.
5. How citizens and/or actors of civil society have been involved in the project
The target groups involved in the GeTRI project are represented by the actors of the Italian and Swiss territory:
- aggregate producers/recyclers
- road/rail transport companies
- railway infrastructure managers
- terminalists
- Environmental bodies and associations (e.g. Legambiente, etc.)
- Trade associations (e.g. ANCE – National Association of Building Builders, engineers, architects, craftsmen, etc.);
- citizens.
They have been involved with initiatives dedicated to individual targets:
- conferences and technical meetings for companies;
- targeted communication campaigns for citizens.
6. Dissemination
The dissemination activities of the 4th notice aim to capitalize on the results of the original project and become functional to the creation of cross-border added value. This is possible with a phase of dissemination, communication and involvement of both Italian and Swiss subjects and institutions. These joint dissemination actions are designed with a view to increasing the possibility of developing a cross-border stakeholder networking, to increase cooperation opportunities by enlarging the pool of potential users or interested parties. This enlargement constitutes the necessary rationale for future collaborations and initiatives for the enhancement of the modal shift both from the point of view of services and related service providers (also cultural change of the business models of the interested parties), and of infrastructural interventions where necessary.