GCF and the "Iron Way" in Trieste

Work in Progress for the New PRG and ACC

A complex project, carefully divided into macro and micro phases to minimize its impact on the regular, intense port activities. In Trieste, the enhancement of the railway system at the Port and Campo Marzio Station continues without interruption, a crucial project for further boosting Italy's largest port.

Managed by the Port Authority of the Western Adriatic Sea (AdSPMao), the Port of Trieste has made railway connections one of its main strengths and areas of growth. Today, it is considered a model for rail cargo and transport intermodality: 70 km of tracks serve all the docks, allowing trains to be assembled directly at the terminals; around 10,000 trains handled annually; a modal shift with 54% of containers traveling by rail, surpassing the 50% threshold set by the EU as a goal for 2050.

Equally important is Trieste Campo Marzio station, the gateway to Europe through the Ten-T corridors, which handles 90% of Trieste's port traffic. The project to create the new PRG and ACC represents a radical plan to upgrade and repurpose the infrastructure: by improving track systems, electrical traction, power, and signaling systems, it aims to increase the efficiency of the railway hub, aligning it with current traffic models and operational speed in goods handling.

For months, the GCF-led Ati group, including E.Lu.S. and Alstom, has been working "on tiptoe" (or, in railway terms, "under the wheels") to reconcile often large-scale operations with the imperative of not disrupting the tight schedules of freight traffic. The operational "window" provided by the summer suspension around mid-August allowed for the completion of one of the six particularly complex and impactful phases.

“The 96-hour traffic suspension," explains Paolo Lopez, project engineer at GCF, "was used to shift from the existing track layout with the current ACEI system to the new layout planned for the future ACC. The suspension enabled us to work with two teams on both the port and station, making significant changes to the tracks and electrical traction."

Over 160 workers were deployed to operate day and night on both sites to complete the bulk of the work.Oltre 160 gli operai complessivamente attivati per operare, giorno e notte, su entrambi i cantieri e concludere il grosso dei lavori.

Some work done during the suspension of August. Photo credits: Andrea Armenante

On the port side, three old switches were removed, and the concrete platform they rested on was demolished. New installations were placed in their final position as outlined in the new PRG. Additionally, the roadbed near a new internal level crossing was rebuilt.

“At Campo Marzio," continues Engineer Lopez, "we proceeded to fundamentally modify the switches to make them compatible with the future ACC system servicing the four tracks that extend from the port gate. This was another complex operation involving the railway tracks, electrical traction, and signaling, so that the current ACEI system can temporarily 'see' the new track geometry, pending the arrival of the future ACC."

Soon, two technical buildings will be constructed at Campo Marzio, one next to the existing one and the other adjacent to the Railway Museum. These will house the future Computerized Central Apparatus (ACC), which is the cornerstone of the ongoing enhancement, repurposing, and efficiency improvements.

The Port Authority AdSPMao - through AdriaFer - manages maneuvering services (goods movement and traffic) within the port. It is the only system authority in Italy to have created a Directorate dedicated to railway infrastructure since 2018. Since February, with the release of the railway safety certification by Ansfisa (National Agency for Railway and Road Safety), the Port has become the first certified manager in Italy authorized to directly manage the railway tracks within its premises.

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