Italy freight rail volumes fall as PNRR construction disrupts network
The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) is intended to modernise Italy’s railway system, but the concentration of construction sites and associated network interruptions have sharply reduced freight traffic. In the first half of 2026 freight rail traffic fell to 23.7 million train‑km, a loss of more than two million train‑km and an 8.1 % contraction compared with the same period in 2025. The sector has been in decline for three consecutive years after peaking at 53.8 million train‑km in 2021 and dropping to 49.4 million in 2025.
If the first‑half 2026 trend continues, total freight traffic could end the year around 45 million train‑km, roughly nine million fewer than in 2021, returning to volumes seen a decade ago. Fermerci, the freight‑rail association, attributes the primary cause to network interruptions required for PNRR‑funded works and says the original programme omitted a compensation fund for enterprises harmed by the works. Its director‑general Giuseppe Rizzi calls for immediate measures and a multi‑year plan to recover lost volumes.
Entities: Fermerci · Giuseppe Rizzi · Italy · National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) · Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) · RFI
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] If the first‑half 2026 trend continues, total 2026 freight traffic could end around 45 million train‑km, about nine million fewer than 2021 levels and similar to volumes ten years ago. (All articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Fermerci says the original PNRR programme failed to include a compensation fund for enterprises harmed by the works. (All belongs‑true freight articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The decline represents a loss of over two million train‑km and an 8.1 % contraction. (Fermerci data)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Freight rail volumes peaked at 53.8 million train‑km in 2021 and fell to 49.4 million in 2025, marking three consecutive years of decline. (Fermerci data)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Fermerci attributes the primary cause of the freight decline to network interruptions needed for PNRR‑funded works. (Fermerci statement)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Freight rail traffic in Italy fell to 23.7 million train‑km in the first half of 2026. (Fermerci data)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The PNRR aims to deliver a more modern, capacious, and efficient railway network in Italy. (PNRR documentation)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Fermerci director‑general Giuseppe Rizzi calls for immediate measures and a multi‑year plan to recover lost freight volumes. (All belongs‑true freight articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] If the first‑half 2026 trend continues, total freight traffic could end around 45 million train‑km, about nine million fewer than 2021 levels. (Fermerci projection)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The original PNRR programme failed to include a compensation fund for enterprises harmed by the works. (Fermerci criticism)