The CROSSMOBY project restored a cross-border rail service between Italy and Slovenia, and developed sustainable urban mobility plans to better link the two countries, for the benefit of regular commuters and tourists. The aim was to promote environmentally friendly transport, make the cross-border area more accessible and improve cooperation between authorities in both countries.
- 14 October 2021
'CROSSMOBY was a very important opportunity to introduce multi-mobility solutions through pilot projects. It also allowed for a systematic analysis of the implementation of sustainability mobility plans in municipalities in the project area, to create synergies between urban mobility and cross-border connections.'
Four trains daily link Udine and Trieste in Italy, with Ljubljana in Slovenia. The five-unit electric train can accommodate 267 passengers and has space for 30 bicycles. It links smaller towns along the route, improving rural-urban connections.
To ensure the project continues to reap benefits beyond its official end date in February 2022, permanent working groups will cooperate on sustainable maritime, rail and road public transport between the two countries.
Connecting urban centres and rural areas
The Udine-Trieste-Ljubljana train connects the towns of Palmanova, Cervignano, Trieste Airport, Monfalcone and Villa Opicina in Italy, with Sežana, Divača, Pivka, Postojna, Rakek, Logatec, Borovnica and Ljubljana-Tivoli in Slovenia.
The cost of a Trieste-Ljubljana ticket is EUR 8, with a 50 % discount for children younger than 12. One full train takes about 184 cars off the road, according to the project newsletter published in May 2021.
Over the first year, 24 672 people made use of the service. Passengers use the train mainly for commuting to work and school, to visit tourist destinations and, during the holidays, to make trips to Europe. The train schedule is adjusted to accommodate increased demand over December. Tour operators in Trieste and Ljubljana prepared tourist packages that combine train and bus tickets with city tours.
Creating intermodal links in the greater region
To encourage the use of intermodal and low-carbon transport in the wider region, e-bike stations were set up at five railway stations on the Slovenian side, south of the new line, at Divača, Hrpelje, Kozina, Komen and Sežana. A bike-bus service links these places with the coastal town of Koper and its ferries.
North of the new line, a bike-bus service was made available from the railway station of Most na Soči to Kranjska Gora, connecting two other railway lines. Most of these pilot projects were implemented using existing infrastructure.
Continued cooperation
The Udine-Trieste-Ljubljana line, financed by the lead partner, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region of Italy, has proved to be financially sustainable and is still running.
According to the project website, this is the first time that a project implemented under an Italy-Slovenia cooperation programme have achieved such results.
The new cross-border rail service, along with the greater range of options for intermodal transport, is expected to have a positive impact on the entire area. A willingness by authorities to continue the rail service should open other avenues of cooperation between local and regional authorities in both countries.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Sustainable and cross-border mobility planning and passenger transport services fostering intermodality” is EUR 4 117 387, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 3 499 779 through the “Interreg Italy Slovenia” Cooperation Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.