Positive six-month report from Ferrovie dello Stato. The group closed the accounts for the first portion of the year with operating revenues of 5,98 billion euros with an increase of 2,2% compared to the same period of the previous year.
The net result for the period also achieved an increase of 4,3%, equal to an increase of 15 million compared to the previous result, at 362 million euro. The increase in revenues is accompanied by the growth of the ebitda of 91 million euros which reaches 1,3 billion euros, equal to +7,5%, while the ebit grew from 426 million euros in the first half of 2018 ai 454 million euro in the first half of 2019.
The growth of the group is linked to positive results of revenues from transport services which, reaching 3,75 billion euros, show an increase of 100 million compared to the first half of 2018. In detail, they report a increase in all transport-related components: revenues from rail passenger services on both long and short distances grew, up overall by 48 million euro; the revenues associated with road passenger transport increased by 39 million euros, and the revenues from the rail freight sector increased by 12 million euros.
In line with the historical trend, investments represent a central element in the development policies of the group which has budgeted expenditure of over 2 billion euros. According to the press release, state Railways maintains a high level of financial solidity with equity which, as at 30 June 2019, amounted to 42,1 billion euro and with a net financial position of 8,6 billion euro.
The growth of services relating to regional transport should be highlighted, the result of the group's attention to commuter trains both in terms of safety and quality of travel for passengers. With over 12 billion passenger-km, demand grew by 1,3% compared to the first half of the previous year, in terms of overall traffic volumes, both domestic and foreign.
Operating costs, despite the growth in turnover, remain in line with the first half of 2018 at 4,68 billion euros, growing by 0,8%.
Looking at the operating sectors, the transport sector where the leading company of the group is Trenitalia, followed by Mercitalia and Busitalia, respectively in the freight and road transport businesses, and Netinera Deutschland, (operating in Germany) closed with a January-June net result of 163 million euro.
In the same period, the Infrastructure sector also closed with a positive result of 191 million euros, with Italian Railway Network and Anas.
