The Port of Santander is promoting a new rail motorway with Madrid to consolidate a green corridor towards Europe

 

La Autoridad Portuaria de Santander (APS) has formally presented the project to create a rail highway between the Puerto de Santander y Madrid, with the support of three rail operators and intermodal freight forwarders to establish a green corridor to the north of Europe and the United Kingdom.

 

A strategic corridor for international logistics

 

The president of the Autoridad Portuaria de Santander, César DíazHe emphasized that this initiative seeks to generate a «maritime-land green corridor» between the central Iberian Peninsula and European markets. According to DíazThis project is "robust, competitive, efficient, safe and sustainable", designed to meet the growing demands of international shippers regarding decarbonization and logistics efficiency.

 

The proposal has already been officially communicated to ADIF (Railway Infrastructure Manager) through the Support and Advisory Office for the Implementation of Rail Freight ForwardsThe interest shown by the private sector reflects, in the president's words, the "strength, solvency and viability" of the infrastructure presented to the Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible (MITMA).

 

Key alliances: Participating operators and shippers

 

The project's technical and operational support comes from three leading firms in the rail sector, which have already formalized their interest in providing the service. These are joined by major intermodal roll-on/roll-off freight companies operating on the Cantabrian infrastructure:

 

• Railway Operators: Tramesa, Transfesa y Low Cost Rail.
• Intermodal Loaders: Ewals Cargo Care, LKW-Walter, ISS (Intermodal Sea Solutions), CldN Cargo y ABC Logistic.

 

The following details the main actors and technical milestones of the project:

 

Entity / Concept	Project Details
Main Promoter	Autoridad Portuaria de Santander (APS)
Railway Operators	Tramesa, Transfesa, Low Cost Rail
Required clearance	P400 (for transporting semi-trailers)
Current intermodality rate	15% in the Puerto de Santander
Objective: Merchandise Strategy 30	10% rail modal share by 2030

 

Next steps and technical adaptation

 

The development of the rail highway now requires that ADIF proceed with the preparation of a clearance study for the railway corridor between Venta de Baños y SantanderThis analysis is fundamental to determining the adaptation works necessary for the circulation of trains with P400 clearance, the essential technical standard for the transport of semi-trailers on railcars.

 

Subsequently, a socio-economic feasibility study will be carried out prior to the drafting of the final construction projects. César Díaz He highlighted that the Cantabrian port already holds the leadership position on the northern coast in terms of cargo movement. ro-ro and intermodal transport units, which justifies the investment to expand its area of ​​influence.

 

The initiative is aligned with the MITMA Mobility Strategy and the integration of Santander as a logistics node in the Basic Trans-European Transport NetworkThe ultimate goal is to reduce truck traffic on the road, decrease fossil fuel consumption, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions on long-distance journeys.

 

Key points and frequently asked questions about the Santander-Madrid Rail Freight Line

What is the P400 clearance gauge and why is it necessary?

This is the technical specification for height and width required for trains to transport standard truck semi-trailers. Without adapting to this gauge, the intermodal railcars would not be able to travel through the tunnels and bridges of the current route.

What environmental benefits does this project bring?

It allows the massive diversion of trucks from road to rail, which drastically reduces CO2 emissions, decreases fossil fuel consumption and improves road safety on the national road network.

What is the role of the Port of Santander in this corridor?

It acts as a maritime connection hub. Thanks to its 15% intermodality rate and its regular connections with the United Kingdom and the north of Europe, the port becomes the key link to connect the center of Spain with international markets in a sustainable way.