Spain is on a roll in the intermodal rail area. Following the development of the rail highway from Valencia to Madrid (and its extension to Portugal), the Port of Santander is now looking to establish an intermodal rail freight connection to the Spanish capital city.
The Santander port has already presented the plan to rail infrastructure manager Adif. It also claims to have the backing of a significant number of shippers. Rail operators Tramesa, Transfesa and Low Cost Rail have also expressed interest in partaking.
This “without a doubt reflects the strength, solvency and viability of the project that we have presented to the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility”, commented the president of the Port Authority of Santander, César Díaz.
Díaz added that the rail highway would be necessary to boost the port’s competitiveness, expand its catchment area and to create a green corridor between central Spain, the UK and northern Europe.
Adif’s turn
“Santander already has significant strengths that alone justify this rail freight corridor”, Díaz is quoted as saying. “We are leaders along the entire northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula in terms of Ro-Ro freight movement and the number of intermodal transport units. Furthermore, we boast the highest rate of rail-port intermodality (15%) in the entire system of ports of general interest.”
The next step in developing this intermodal corridor is the responsibility of Adif. The infrastructure manager should conduct a P400 clearance study. This should identify the necessary adaptations for trains carrying semi-trailers to run on the route.
Rail highways in Spain
Spain currently has rail highways between Barcelona and France, as well as on the Valencia-Madrid-Portugal route. It will likely complete the Algeciras-Zaragoza rail highway by the end of 2026.
Other rail highway projects that are in progress include:
- Seville-Madrid-Zaragoza
- Valencia-Badajoz-Lisbon
- Madrid-Badajoz-Oporto-Lisbon
- Azuqueca-Zaragoza-Tarragona
- Tarragona-Barcelona
- Madrid-Valladolid-Burgos-Vitoria
- Murcia-Madrid
- Cádiz-Madrid
- Tamarite de Litera-Irún/Portbou
- Zaragoza-Pamplona (Noain)-Vitoria (Júndiz)
