Intermodal rail/road transport has been, since the 1970s, an object of major concern for public authorities,
which provided great assistance. The state grants operating subsidies based on the number of intermodal container
units transhipped within a terminal. The national “axle tax” paid on the basis of the authorized loaded weight, is
reduced for the vehicles carrying out pre or post-shipment carriage services within the framework of a rail/road
service of transport. This is a rare case of operating subsidies legally authorized by European competition
regulation. Subsidies for capital expenditures are easier to implement under European law, but they are more
expensive