La Spezia Shunting Railways

La Spezia Shunting Railways was established in 2013 on the initiative of the Port Authority of La Spezia, now known as the Port System Authority of the Eastern Ligurian Sea. The Port Authority took the lead in the formation of the Single Railway Shunting Entity, and it was immediately joined by terminal operators, Multimodal Transport Operators (MTOs), and railway companies operating within the port, essentially encompassing all the key players in the La Spezia railway landscape.

In a short period of time, the company has become a virtuous example in the field of shunting services, contributing to the growth of railway traffic, which has reached a significant 35%, a figure of great importance both nationally and within the European community.

LSSR, according to its statutes, ensures the execution of port railway service in the Port of La Spezia, in the hinterland areas of Santo Stefano di Magra, and in connected territorial areas, through a new operational model based on the following characteristics:

  • Strong operational and tariff integration of the 3 railway hubs within the "Spezia system" namely La Spezia Marittima, La Spezia Migliarina, and Santo Stefano Magra – the latter serving as a true "hinterland terminal" for the system.
  • Calibration of human and vehicle resources at the facilities based on the actual "integrated" needs of the system, resulting in an initial savings of approximately 5 agents per day compared to the previous management.
  • Optimization of the use of shunting diesel locomotives with immediate resolution of any critical issue.

  • Reduction of shunting times per train.

  • Efficient management of daily/seasonal traffic peaks.
  • Identification of any remaining available technical-commercial capacity "from below", and "guiding" – as much as possible – the increasing traffic demand.

Activities are carried out under the supervision of the operations room, which is active for approximately 20 hours per day and represents the true "strength" of the company. In this operations room, all train arrival and departure operations, both scheduled and extraordinary, are planned in real-time.

Inside the operations room, highly qualified professionals work under the direction of the rail planner, who coordinates railway movements with dockside activities.

Other professionals in the operations room plan and oversee the actual shunting activities, coordinating the operations and maintaining relationships with railway companies.