Transport Accessibility And PortCompetitiveness: The Case Of Savona-Vado

Competitiveness is fundamental in ranking ports everywhere and, within the competitive forum, accessibility is a major factor. Access to good transport services plays a crucial role and the possession of a multi-modal hub should give a port an advantage over less accessible ones. This paper examines the case of the port of Savona-Vado. Within the multi-modal transport network serving this port several bottlenecks can be recognised, such as the single-tracking of the coastal railway to French border and the inadequacy of the northward corridor due to the relief constraints of the Apennine. This paper intends to asses the traffic capacity of the transport infrastructures serving Savona-Vado. Taking into account the infrastructural interventions being planned or designed the author intend to determine whether the transport network that serves Savona will be adequate to sustain the traffic growth of its port.