Freight is returning to the Canfranc railway. Three companies have come together to test grain transportation on the newly reinstated line. Even though the test only concerns a single round-trip for now, the ambition is to get to five rotations a week.
Bulk transport company Transcanfranc, rail operator Alsa Rail and wagon provider Go Transport have tested grain transport from Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southern France, to Spain. Since there is no functional railway on the French side of the border, the grain was taken to Canfranc by truck. From there, a train with a 900- tonne load moved it further into Spain.
“It is an important day because of what it means for goods to once again circulate on this modernised international line, and because of the importance of these shipments in the stable supply of grain from France to Spanish companies”, commented Ángel Gil, manager of the Aragon logistics cluster Alia, to publication El Mercantil. The Canfranc railway has been out of function for two years, during which infrastructure manager Adif renovated it.
There used to be a functional railway from Canfranc in Spain to Pau in France until the 1970s, when an accident on a French bridge rendered the infrastructure unusable. France never restored the line, but a rehabilitated railway could prevent the need for road transportation on the route.
A section of the defunct railway near Urdos, France. Image: Flickr. © Leo Spee Photography
Already closing agreements
However, there are still obstacles to overcome before grain transports can run consistently on the route. For example, there is a shortage of hopper wagons, which makes moving grain via rail a challenge. Moreover, there is a need for return freight to make the connection more competitive.
Ultimately, the goal is to reach five weekly round-trips. “We are already closing agreements with clients who will be recurring customers”, added Ángel Gil, so there is ground for optimism. The companies are also looking for more rolling stock, because they will need several trains to make multiple round-trips each week.