The improvement of the Savona Vado Rail Road Terminal is in fact part of a comprehensive development plan of the Vado multimodal system which calls for the improvement of multimodality and the enhancement of the “last mile” connections: on the maritime side, the core element of the plan is the ongoing construction of a 800.000 TEU deep sea container terminal (co-financed and managed by APM Terminals Vado Ligure – Maersk Group); on the shore side, the plan aims at improving the efficiency of railway transport and strengthening the integration with the Rhine-Alpine and Mediterranean corridors.
In this framework the Port Authority of Savona and VIO Vado Intermodal Operator submitted the proposal Vado Multimodal Platform rail/road terminal intermodal connections optimization and Upgrading (VAMP UP) to the CEF 2015 call.
The Vamp up project aims to develop Vado Ligure as a Multimodal Logistics Platform by the effective integration of the core RRT node with the TEN-T transport network. The Action includes the optimization of the intermodal terminal, the improvement of the last mile connections, the automation of the Railway Gate and the construction of a Connecting Bridge between the port and the RRT.
The European Commission acknowledged the high European relevance of the Vamp up project, assigning a contribution of 1.8 million euros for the realization of the proposed action.
VAMP UP is a unique opportunity to support the connection between Motorways of the Sea and the TEN-T core network, specifically boosting a port related project to be effectively co-funded for its own integration in the Rhine Alpine Corridor, optimizing the use of existing infrastructure capacities, rebalancing freight flows along the Rhine – Alpine corridor, facilitating congestion relief and more balanced modal distribution, supporting the achievement of relevant environmental benefits and producing a positive impact on the EU population and economy.
At the end of the visit Wojciechowski underlined the importance to have the full community of stakeholders highly committed for such an important development; he was also impressed by the state of the development that will lead the first vessel to call the new platform in May 2018. He suggested to enlarge the industry stakeholders platform to other transport operators such as railway operators and shipping lines. Finally, he is committed to continue to support and promote the development of the platform as an integral part of the Rhine Alpine Corridor in order to achieve an effective maritime transport integration in the global door to door logistic chain with overall benefits for the whole local and regional community.