Shipping giant MSC seems to be on a quest to move more volumes by rail in Spain. The most recent development is a new rail connection between the port of Gijón and León for agri-food products, which will run once a week.
The cargo arrives in Gijón by ship from Sines, in Portugal, and Antwerp, in Belgium. Ships operated by, you guessed it, MSC. The goods are unloaded at the APM Terminals facility in the port and then sent to León, Spanish media El Mercantil said. The first train was loaded with 36 20-foot containers, and MSC is already planning to double the frequency of the service.
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This is just the latest example of MSC’s recent efforts to deploy more freight trains in Spain and boost the modal shift, both for container and semi-trailer traffic. For example, the company is now operating a rail highway service for semi-trailers between the port of Valencia, Madrid and now also Portugal.
Moreover, there will soon be three new terminals operated by Medway near the Spanish-Portuguese border. The first one, located in Badajoz, has been operational since October 2024, while the remaining two in Mérida and Navalmoral de la Mata should open later this year. All these initiatives are turning MSC and its subsidiaries into a rail freight powerhouse in Spain and the Iberain peninsula in general.