The Spanish Council of Ministers agreed on a package worth €110 million over the next five years with state-owned Renfe. The funds will be allocated to both Renfe Mercancias and Renfe Viajeros.
“This new agreement addresses the needs of the Armed Forces”, the Council said. In addition to the movement of personnel and equipment, the new agreement will help to create “a concrete framework for collaboration that extends to the training of personnel of the Pontoon and Engineer Specialties Regiment No. 12 of the Army”.
This branch of the army, known in Spanish as Regimiento de Pontoneros y Especialidades de Ingenieros nº12 del Ejército de Tierra, has been around since the 19th century. It is specialised in support action such as building bridges and heavy machinery handling. The only one in the Spanish army with a dedicated railway unit, the Compañía de Ferrocarriles.
Private or public?
One of the main questions in the rail freight industry these days is the extent to which private operators can contribute to military mobility. These tasks have traditionally been placed upon state-owned entities under the control of the government.
With the rise of liberalisation across the continent, public companies have continued to lose volumes to private ones and some think that this should extend to moving military cargo too. On the other hand, this remains a delicate subject as national interests and safety would be placed in the hands of private companies, which might not always prioritise these requests.
