Appropriateness of the “small-scale corridor terminals” scheme for rail-road combined transport: Evidence from the Brenner axis

Rail-Road Combined Transport (CT) is a well-known issue for freight mobility: it is generally considered as a valid solution to reduce externalities without curbing mobility, but it often lacks adequate infrastructures and has high costs for operators. Hence, in most cases road continues to be the preferred solution. This condition is valid especially in the Alps, due to its morphological and infrastructural characteristics. To increase the attractiveness of CT in the Alpine context, this paper discusses the appropriateness of introducing a “small-scale corridor terminals” scheme along Brenner, i.e. the transalpine axis with the highest freight volumes, by assessing the opportunity of a new intermodal terminal in the Italian region of South Tyrol as part of an integrated system. The expectations of local firms and the development of alternative scenarios indicate that the geographical distribution is fragmented, and the potential demand is currently not sufficient to justify an investment with public funds. Thus, the proposed scheme seems not suitable for this context. At the same time, our analysis underscores the need to implement other policies to reorganise the freight movement at Brenner. An effective coordination with the neighbouring and underused terminal of Trento may be a first step towards this goal.