At the end of last year, seven major logistics players joined the the Port of Barcelona’s Efficiency Network working model, which was extended to include rail freight services as well. This system ensures that companies active in the port meet certain standards of quality for their services. RailFreight.com had an interview with Marta Pisa, in charge of the Efficiency Network at the Catalan port, to have a better understanding of the system.
What is the Efficiency Network and when was it introduced?
Efficiency Network is the quality label of the Port of Barcelona. It’s a program that brings together companies that work with high levels of reliability, transparency, and security. The goal is to make logistics smoother, faster, and more predictable for importers and exporters. Through this label, the Port encourages collaboration across the entire logistics chain, making sure everyone works with shared standards and a clear commitment to service quality.
We launched the initiative in 2011. Back then, global trade was becoming increasingly demanding, companies wanted more visibility over their shipments and faster delivery times. The Port of Barcelona saw that the best way to meet these expectations was to unite the different actors in the logistics chain under a common quality framework. Efficiency Network was created to respond to that need, helping ensure that the Port could offer the highest levels of efficiency in Southern Europe.
How many companies are participating in it, and what are the benefits for them?
Today, 97 companies belong to the Efficiency Network community. Between them there are the main container handling terminals, shipping companies, freight forwarders, and transport companies working at the Port of Barcelona. Being part of the program offers them many advantages: they work with a clear methodology for improvement, receive support from the Port Authority, increase their visibility in the market, and collaborate more closely with other logistics partners and public administrations.
A very important part of this growth is the extension of the Efficiency Network to rail freight, which reinforces the Port of Barcelona’s commitment to environmental sustainability. For many years, the Port has worked to boost rail traffic as a greener and more efficient alternative. In line with this strategy, in 2023 Efficiency Network launched a major expansion of its quality label to container rail transport.
This extension aims to maximise digitalization of the entire rail logistics process, improve punctuality of train departures and arrivals and provide full traceability of each container transported by rail. To develop this ambitious initiative, the Port of Barcelona is working closely with all actors in the rail logistics chain, ADIF, the Spanish Railway Infrastructure Manager, railway companies, rail logistics operators, container handling terminals, and leading shipping lines.
Between them, seven of these companies—ADIF, the handling terminals APMT Barcelona and Hutchison Ports BEST, the rail logistic operators SYNERGY and TRANSPORTES PORTUARIOS, and the shipping lines CMA-CGM and COSCO—are already applying the Efficiency Network methodology with the aim of becoming certified in 2026. For them, the benefits are clear: better coordination, more efficient operations, and the ability to offer customers a fully traceable and more sustainable rail logistics service.
How is the quality of service measured?
All companies in the program must meet the standards defined by the Port Authority. To ensure this, their performance is regularly audited by internationally recognized certification bodies. During these reviews, several aspects of their operations are evaluated, such as how quickly customs procedures are handled, whether deliveries are made on time, and how efficiently export cargo is loaded. Once a company joins the program, the Port works alongside them in a continuous improvement process. This collaborative approach helps us understand the performance of the entire logistics chain in detail and respond proactively to changes in global trade.
Do other ports in Spain or elsewhere have similar models?
Some ports do have quality programs, but Efficiency Network is unique to Barcelona. What makes it special is that the Port Authority itself manages the entire model—from the standards and analysis to the close relationship with certified companies. It’s a program built around the values of our Port Community, and it reflects the collaborative spirit and innovation that characterize the Port of Barcelona.
