Italy freight rail volumes fall as PNRR construction disrupts network

freight rail PNRR Italy volume decline Fermerci

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 many sources carry each claim.

[● 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. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.sudefuturi.it · www.notizie.it
[● 7 SOURCES] Fermerci says the original PNRR programme failed to include a compensation fund for enterprises harmed by the works. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.sudefuturi.it · www.notizie.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · www.iltempo.it · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] The decline represents a loss of over two million train‑km and an 8.1 % contraction. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.sudefuturi.it · www.notizie.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · www.iltempo.it · +2 more
[● 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. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.sudefuturi.it · www.notizie.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · www.iltempo.it · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] Fermerci attributes the primary cause of the freight decline to network interruptions needed for PNRR‑funded works. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.sudefuturi.it · www.notizie.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · www.iltempo.it · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] Freight rail traffic in Italy fell to 23.7 million train‑km in the first half of 2026. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.sudefuturi.it · www.notizie.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · www.iltempo.it · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] The PNRR aims to deliver a more modern, capacious, and efficient railway network in Italy. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.sudefuturi.it · www.notizie.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · www.iltempo.it · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] Fermerci director‑general Giuseppe Rizzi calls for immediate measures and a multi‑year plan to recover lost freight volumes. www.lospecialegiornale.it · www.sudefuturi.it · www.notizie.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · www.iltempo.it · +2 more
[● 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. www.lospecialegiornale.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · www.sudefuturi.it · www.iltempo.it · www.notizie.it · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] The original PNRR programme failed to include a compensation fund for enterprises harmed by the works. www.lospecialegiornale.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · www.sudefuturi.it · www.iltempo.it · www.notizie.it · +2 more