The launch of a rolling highway service between Algeciras and Zaragoza is one of the most important for rail freight in Spain. After months of uncertainty, there now seems to be possible dates for the partial and full openings of the route. The Madrid-Zaragoza section could be operational at the beginning of 2026, while the whole line might be ready by the end of it.
The infrastructure adaptation works between Madrid and Zaragoza are meant to be completed by mid-December this year, said Antonio Aguilar, Deputy Director of Freight Transport Promotion at Adif. Consequently, rolling highway operations along this stretch could already start on 1 January 2026, he stated during the Keepers Summit 2025 in Valencia.
The service might even be extended northwards to the Noáin intermodal terminal, near Pamplona, Aguilar added. On the other hand, it will be necessary to wait at least until the last quarter of 2026 for the Algeciras-Madrid section to be ready. It is worth mentioning that the initial launch on rolling highway services between Algeciras and Zaragoza was planned for the end of 2024. However, this was indefinitely postponed at the end of 2023, with no news until this weekend.
The Algeciras-Zaragoza rolling highway
This project aims at connecting Spain’s largest port in Algeciras with one of the country’s most important logistics hubs in Zaragoza. A total of 43 rail tunnels and 131 overpasses are being adapted to the 4-metre profile to accommodate combined transport traffic. The initial investment was estimated at 468 million euros, but it is now over 500 million. Other than taking longer and costing more than expected, construction works are also causing a volume drop in rail freight volumes at the port of Algeciras. Once the infrastructure is ready, the service will be operated by Rail & Truck, which recently received the first locomotives from Stadler.
