Meridiam acquired from Leitner S.p.A., an Italian leader in manufacturing cable-based transportation solutions, a 72% stake in PisaMover S.p.A., the concessionaire in charge of the operation and maintenance of an electric-powered driverless people mover system connecting in five minutes Pisa International Airport to Pisa Centrale railway station, and of two parking facilities located along the Firenze – Pisa – Livorno highway.

PisaMover offers an efficient, sustainable transportation solution to connect Tuscany’s largest airport to Pisa’s city centre and many other destinations easily reachable from there by train, including Firenze, the Versilian riviera, and Cinque Terre. Moreover, it actively contributes to relieve road traffic and congestion by incentivizing commuters, tourists, and business travelers to use public transportation to penetrate the city, reducing the CO₂ emissions in the area and making Pisa a more attractive and better place to live.

The Project contributes to several UN Sustainable Development Goals, notably:

• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), being an efficient and sustainable public transportation service connecting the local airport with the city centre, catalyzing the economic development of the surrounding area.
• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), as it is based on an innovative, modern, and green technology, and it was the first people mover entered into service in Italy connecting an airport by rail, other than national railways
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), as it contributes to enhance sustainability in the Pisa area due to its central role in the public transportation network, reducing traffic congestion and CO₂ PisaMover is an essential piece of the local transportation plan of the city and is part of the strategic plan promoted by the Italian Ministry of Sustainable Mobility to improve the accessibility of Italy’s major airports by rail[1].

PisaMover has been in operation since March 2017 and has been developed pursuant to a long-term concession agreement signed with the Municipality of Pisa and its subsidiary Pisamo. It runs from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. (midnight), 365 days per year, and has a capacity of 1,100 passengers per hour per direction.

The project is part of Meridiam’s strategy to invest in sustainable mobility, including transport links improving accessibility to local airports. Moreover, PisaMover represents Meridiam’s first investment in the cable-based transportation sector, one of the most innovative technologies for urban mobility, realized in partnership with Leitner group, a worldwide leader of this sector.

Sources:

[1] https://www.mit.gov.it/comunicazione/news/aeroporti-mims-previsti-17-nuovi-collegamenti-e-potenziamenti-con-le-ferrovie-e

Image rights @Leitner S.p.A.