On Thursday, September 3rd Rail Hub Milano received from the Italian Customs agency the authorization to activate the new Genoa-Melzo Fast Corridor. Several trial containers have been tested during the second half of September and now the service is fully operational.
Fast Corridors are virtual infrastructures dedicated to the transfer of imported goods. Using the Fast Corridors, customs import procedures can be shifted from the gateway port container terminal, to the next inland logistics hub. This shift avoids bottlenecks and reduces ports congestion, postponing customs operations.
With the new Fast Corridor, it will be therefore possible to transfer imported goods from the VTE terminal temporary storage warehouses in Genoa, to Rail Hub Milano, without the issuing of the T1 transit document, speeding up the transfer of import containers by up to 24 hours. On average, the units discharged in Genoa will arrive in Melzo (Milan) within 24/36 hours, depending on the exact time of discharge from the ship.
Eliminating the need for the T1 document translates into immediate savings for customers, but the substantial advantage offered by the new Fast Corridor consists in the reduction of risks and delays related to the management of customs formalities at the port of entry. Using the Fast Corridor, Freight Forwarders can avoid anticipating taxes on the T1 document, as they are calculated directly on the customs declaration form, and therefore paid directly by the beneficial cargo owner.
The Fast Corridor option is already available on daily trains, connecting Genoa to Melzo from Monday to Saturday. Based on customers’ requests, a second daily train might be added to this schedule in the following months.
From Rail Hub Milano’s perspective, the logistics options available to importers using Ligurian ports to route cargo to and through Milan expand further, consolidating the central role of RHM within the Italian and European intermodal system.
On November 13th, from 11 AM to 12 AM (GMT+1) Contship will hold a webinar, to illustrate in detail the opportunities and benefits made available by the activation of the new Genoa-Melzo Fast Corridor to Cargo Owners, Freight Forwarders and Shipping Lines.
You can register to attend the webinar HERE.