High fuel prices: new Bologna-Marcianise freight rail service launched in partnership with Anita

The new special “Rail4Truck” freight rail connection between Bologna and Marcianise is now underway, promoted in partnership between FS Logistix and ANITA, with the aim of providing the market with a tangible and effective solution to the current period of sharply rising fuel costs. 

 

To meet this need, FS Logistix has organised a new direct train service, operated by its subsidiary Mercitalia Intermodal, between Bologna Interporto and Maddaloni Marcianise, with the option to extend the journey to Catania Bicocca with a single booking, thereby simplifying access to an integrated and efficient intermodal solution along the country’s north-south axis. The service comprises a total of four trains per week, with departures on Wednesdays and Fridays from Bologna to Marcianise, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Marcianise to Bologna. This green solution will save around 200 litres of fuel per journey for each vehicle, preventing the release of around 55 tonnes of CO2 every month.

 

“During such a particularly difficult time for businesses, we want to provide a solution capable of supporting the country’s logistics and production supply chains with a sustainable, efficient and reliable service,” explained Sabrina De Filippis, Chief Executive Officer of FS Logistix. “This new service has been launched specifically to promote intermodal transport during these challenging times, by combining the expertise of the FS Group with our partnership with ANITA to provide a practical, flexible solution that meets the needs of operators preventing the release of around 900 tonnes of CO2 every month.”

 

“The proximity to intermodal services and the partnership with FS Logistix are important to ANITA and its members. This initiative, along with those to come, aims to make a tangible contribution to the development of intermodal transport within a complex context for both the rail and road sectors, considering the current macroeconomic climate. The development of new partnerships, the upgrading of terminals and the expansion of the domestic intermodal network in conjunction with the international one are key elements of the joint strategy between FS and ANITA, which aims to consolidate the combined road-rail market in Italy,” added ANITA’s Chairperson, Riccardo Morelli.

 

The service offers businesses a new solution for freight transport at a time when fuel costs are rising, partly due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the critical situation in the Strait of Hormuz. The service grants access to the key advantages of rail transport: reliable timetables, regularity, safety, reduced impact from road congestion and more efficient management of logistics flows.

This initiative comes at a particularly difficult time for the road transport sector. The rise in fuel prices is indeed having a significant impact on business costs: in March 2026, the average price of diesel in Italy rose by 16.85% compared with February. With this project, FS Logistix reaffirms its commitment to developing integrated logistics solutions designed to boost the competitiveness of freight transport, thereby guiding the market towards increasingly efficient, sustainable and resilient models.