Spain is going to invest over 1,6 billion euros for the development of its ports in 2026. Around 240 million euros will be deployed for new and improved land access, primarily by rail and the development of terminals, according to the Spanish ministry of transport.
“Regarding planned rail connections, it is worth mentioning those to the ports of A Coruña, Ferrol, Barcelona, and Castellón, as well as the expansion of the Isla Verde Exterior rail terminal in the port of Algeciras”, the ministry specified. These funds will be added to the 86 million euros already destined to direct contributions to the general rail network, funded by ports through the corresponding agreements with ADIF.
Increasing port capacity
This budget was approved by the Spanish State Ports Governing Council, which manages 46 ports throughout the country. Other than the 240 million euros for land access, the plan entails 900 million euros for the improvement of port capacity infrastructure, with some projects benefiting rail as well.
For example, one of the major projects mentioned by the ministry is the future North Terminal at the port of Valencia, which will be Spain’s largest rail facility. Another initiative receiving a significant amount of these funds will be the container terminal at the port of Cadiz, which will be connected to the Spanish main rail network.
Improving rail accessibility
Spain has been investing heavily in improving or implementing rail links to its ports. For A Coruña, a new railway access from the east is currently being built and there are already talks to implement a second one from the south with an additional terminal. Ferrol, just a few kilometres from A Coruña on the northeastern corner of Spain, will also get a new access featuring a dual Iberian and narrow gauge connection.
The ports of Barcelona and Castellón, along the Spanish east coast, are both getting a new southern rail access. For Barcelona, the plan is to connect the Can Tunis terminal and the L’Hospitalet-Can Tunis section to the port. In Castellón, a standard gauge line will be implemented, in another step to create a more interoperable network with the rest of Europe.