Autostrada Ferroviaria Alpina

Question for written answer E-001616/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Massimiliano Salini (PPE) Subject: Autostrada Ferroviaria Alpina The project to build the Autostrada Ferroviaria Alpina (AFA) between Orbassano and Aiton was launched in 2001 through bilateral agreements between France and Italy to find safer alternative transport solutions through the Fréjus Alpine tunnel. The AFA accommodates a high level of traffic on the Fréjus tunnel rail line and is the main rail service for freight transport (500 000 semi-trailers for 1.667 million tonnes/kilometre of freight). The landslide in Saint André on 27 August 2023 led to the closure of the link and the suspension of the service, causing considerable economic damage to transport operators and production companies in north-west of Italy due to the lack of alternatives. The AFA has announced that it will permanently cease operations as of 21 April 2025. On 9 April 2025, the Italian and French governments declared that they were considering the reactivation of a joint contribution measure to reduce the cost of the service, and brought the idea to the European Commission. In the light of the above: 1. Does the Commission consider the reopening of the AFA strategic to ensure a combined transport service between Italy and France? 2. What is the state of play of the negotiations between the Commission and the governments? 3. What initiatives does it intend to promote to protect the employment of specialised workers,...