Objectives and territorial context:
The InGE project (Genova Erzelli Intermodal Node) contributes to a broader infrastructural intervention involving the design and construction of a monorail connection between the future Genova Erzelli intermodal node and the Erzelli district.
The Erzelli intermodal node consists of an important interchange point that connects the regional railway network (through the construction of the new railway station called Genova Erzelli-Airport), the Genoa airport, the local public transport system (including a bus station for urban and suburban lines), a parking lot, and the Erzelli district (via the aforementioned monorail).
The Erzelli district, located on the Erzelli hill, is an urban project currently under development that aims to become Genoa's science and technology park thanks to the presence of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Genoa, high-tech companies, a hospital, residential areas, and other facilities.
The general plan for the Erzelli district is currently being developed and foresees the transfer of the Faculty of Engineering by 2024; in particular, it will provide all the elements needed to define the transport demand and, therefore, the most suitable transport and mobility services to be designed.
In this context, InGE will develop a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) concept around the future Erzelli node. MaaS is the integration of various forms of transport services into a single mobility service accessible on demand. To meet customer demand, a MaaS operator makes available various transport options: public transport, ride, car or bike sharing, taxi or car rental/leasing, or a combination of these. For the user, MaaS can, for example, propose the use of a single application to provide access to mobility, with a single payment channel instead of multiple ticketing and payment operations.
Specifically, INGE will develop the following actions:
• validation of the technical and operational design related to the monorail solution, taking into account its integration with other transport services planned around the node and the general plan of the Erzelli district;
• design of MaaS services for the Erzelli node, potentially extendable to the urban context;
• development of solutions and design of ICT services, with a specific focus on safety, security, and accessibility to transport infrastructures.
The final result of InGE will be some specific guidelines for the deployment of MaaS services; these guidelines will include the technical specifications for launching a call to select the future MaaS operator.
The study will help to improve the overall benefits resulting from the construction of the new monorail connection, with a significant impact for the city of Genoa and the southern section of the Rhine-Alps corridor. The solutions designed within InGE will radically improve intermodality within the urban node, reducing travel time between long-distance terminals, the Erzelli district, and the main urban and peri-urban areas accessible by road, thus reducing traffic congestion, pollution, and other negative externalities related to transport.
