Mercitalia

Mercitalia (also known as Mercitalia Rail) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Italian state railway (FSI) system that operates freight transport and logistics services both within Italy and across Europe. It was founded in early 2016 as a major element of the FSI's reorganisation of the Italian railway system to more efficiently operate freight services. Early on, ambitious investment programmes for the acquisition of large numbers of new locomotives and rolling stock were launched; this new fleet would facilitate the ultimate goal of pursuing international freight services and other logistical opportunities across the European Union. On 7 November 2018, the Mercitalia Fast high speed freight service was launched; it offered a travel time of roughly three hours and 30 minutes at an average speed of around 110 mph using a specially modified FS Class ETR 500 trainset for nighttime freight movements between the southern and northern regions of Italy. However, due to challenging conditions, the final Mercitalia Fast service was conducted on 18 November 2022. In addition to traditional rail freight services, Mercitalia operates multiple concessions and subsidiaries, such as the Polish rail freight transport company POL-Rail. It is also exploring the use of digital sensor technology to enhance its operations, the potential use of bi-mode traction, and expanding its intermodal traffic between maritime and rail mediums. The company has also advocated for infrastructure operators to take greater action to better accommodate and improve working conditions for freight services.