Contract signed for 177 million between the municipality of Genoa and RTI ICM – Leonardo – Colas Rail
Efficiency, accessibility and sustainability at the heart of the "4 Axis of Strength" project, which will use flash charging technology for the first time
Genoa, 21 March 2023 – The Assi di Forza project for local public transport in the City of Genoa is underway: the integrated tender contract has been signed, worth 177 million euro, between the Municipality and the RTI (Raggruppamento Temporaneo d'Impresa) formed by ICM (parent company agent), Leonardo and Colas Rail.
The contract includes the executive design and the supply of civil works, systems and technological infrastructures and provides for the construction of a zero-emission trolleybus system operating on four lines for an efficient and ecologically sustainable coverage of the Genoese territory from east to west and in the valleys crossing the center. The works, financed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and partly covered by funds from the PNRR, will begin in 2023.
«With the assignment of the works – declares the councilor for integrated mobility and transport of the Municipality of Genoa, Matteo Campora – the operational phase of the Superbus-4 Assi di Forza project officially starts, for the reorganization and modernization of our local public transport. We are talking about a new electric transport system based on the renewal of the fleet, the purchase of 145 vehicles and the redevelopment of remittances: strategic lines of intervention which, put into the network, will allow us to equip Genoa with more efficient and emission-free public transport zero: a goal that will make our city a national model of environmental sustainability».
145 trolleybuses and electric buses and over 300 shelters and intelligent stops will serve the 96 kilometers of the 4 axes (Asse Centro, Asse Levante, Asse Ponente, Asse Val Bisagno). The project will be able to count on the best hi-tech solutions developed by Leonardo, based on secure-by-design architectures and systems capable of countering even the cyber threat: monitoring of reserved lanes, also through advanced video analysis algorithms and artificial intelligence for processing of data, and traffic light preference (functionality for the dynamic management of traffic light priority in favor of public transport) to ensure high travel speeds and compliance with timetables and frequencies; information poles, multimedia displays to improve the quality of the travel experience; emergency call points at bus stops for calling for help to support the disabled, to increase the accessibility and inclusiveness of the service. The 4 Axes of Force will also use the most advanced security systems; all integrated and managed through Leonardo's platforms for monitoring and protecting data and strategic assets, installed in the current operations center of the AMT (Mobility and Transport Company) in Genoa.
But the big news is flash charging technology, which will be applied to electric buses on the Val Bisagno line and will allow vehicles to be recharged by taking advantage of the passengers' boarding and alighting times at stops and at the terminus, with no impact on the timetable and speed of the transport. Furthermore, there is no impact on the landscape, since the flash charging system does not require power cables, respecting the aesthetic, architectural and urban constraints of the territory. Furthermore, thanks to the integration of information from recharging stations, traffic monitoring systems and on-board sensors, it will be possible to have updated information on the power supply status of electric vehicles and the time required for recharging at any time.
By pooling the skills and experience of ICM, the parent company that will coordinate the entire project and is specialized in building and infrastructural works, of Leonardo, a leading company in high technology and in the integration of multi-domain solutions, and of Colas Rail, a player international specialist in electrification systems, the 4 Axes of Strength system will be a national excellence. The project will allow Genoa to acquire a highly accessible, efficient and sustainable local public transport system, able to offer a valid alternative to private means of transport, and to act as a trailblazer for the adoption of innovative solutions in other urban contexts .
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ICM, active in major civil, industrial and infrastructural engineering works, is in Italy among the top ten most important national companies in terms of turnover, employees and order portfolio, as well as among the top two hundred and fifty international companies, according to the ENR ranking. In addition to the construction sector, the Group operates in the field of solving environmental problems, in the real estate and financial fields. The companies of the Group are part of the most qualified Italian and international associations and bodies.
Leonardo, a global high-tech company, is among the top companies in the world in Aerospace, Defense and Security and the leading Italian industrial company. Organized into five business divisions, Leonardo boasts a significant industrial presence in Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland and the USA where it also operates through subsidiaries such as Leonardo DRS (defense electronics) and some joint ventures and equity investments: ATR, MBDA, Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space and Avio. Leonardo competes on the most important international markets by leveraging its areas of technological and product leadership (Helicopters; Aircraft; Aerostructures; Electronics; Cyber & Security Solutions and Space). Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in 2021 Leonardo recorded consolidated revenues of 14,1 billion euros and invested 1,8 billion euros in Research and Development. The company has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) since 2010, confirming itself again in 2022 among the global leaders in sustainability. Leonardo is also included in the MIB ESG index.
Colas Rail is one of the major international players in the public transport infrastructure market, both urban and railway, capable of covering the entire life cycle of the asset, from design to construction, testing & commissioning and maintenance, and providing specialized skills in 12 areas of expertise. With around 5.600 employees spread across 28 companies and branches around the world, Colas Rail is part of the French multinational Colas, world leader in the transport infrastructure sector and affiliate of the Bouygues industrial group. In 2022, Colas Rail generated a turnover of over 1,2 billion euros, of which 68% outside France.