Conclusion

Environmental challenges and ongoing technological advancements position rail freight as a viable solution for the future.

First, in terms of the environment, with a main network that is already largely electrified and a high passenger capacity, trains offer a favorable comparison: fewer greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions, fewer harmful particles, greater safety, and a smaller footprint than their road-based competitors.

Technological advancements are also driving the growth of rail freight: the emergence of hydrogen (whose production will, however, need to become more sustainable than it is today), which will soon be available for freight locomotives; the essential implementation of automatic car coupling; and the widespread adoption of digitalization—all of these factors are modernizing rail transport and making it increasingly efficient....