The port of Valencia wants to implement a rolling highway service to the PLAZA terminal in Zaragoza, one of the main logistics hubs in Spain. The port is interested in taking over an area of 290,000 square metres in Zaragoza and turning into a multimodal platform for the initiative.
The idea for a rolling highway between Valencia and Zaragoza via Teruel stems from the fact that this line is currently being adapted for the rail transport of semi-trailers. Since August 2024, tunnels and overpasses along this route are being modernised to accommodate this type of transport.
Creating a monitoring committee
To this end, the Valencia Port Authority and the government of Aragon, the region of Zaragoza, signed an agreement to boost intermodality between the two locations. With Valencia being one of Spain’s most important ports and Zaragoza being a strategic hub, improving rail freight connectivity is a key step to reach the goals set by the government and European institutions.
The document signed by the port and Aragon entails the creation of a joint monitoring committee. The group will be responsible for keeping an eye on the actions implemented by the two parties and evaluate them.
Rolling highway fever
Developing rolling highways seems to be the new trend for the Spanish rail freight industry. There are currently talks to implement almost a dozen of them, connecting various cities all across the country. However, only one is operational at the moment, running between Valencia and Madrid. The next in line should be the one between Spain’s largest port in Algeciras and Zaragoza, but the inauguration of this project has been postponed indefinitely.
RailFreight Summit 2025
The synergies between ports and railways will be the main highlight of the RailFreight Summit, taking place in Gdańsk, Poland, on 8 and 9 April 2025. Find out more about the programme here and get your ticket here.