Intermodal transport has become the preferred option for EU authorities due to its safety and low environmental impact. It is the most efficient way to reduce the carbon footprint and minimise the risks related to the transport of dangerous goods. By opting for intermodal transport, you choose the safest and most sustainable way to move goods.
Rail Freeways
Rail motorways, also known as rail motorways or road trains, are transport systems that combine the advantages of rail and road transport. These infrastructures allow the efficient transport of heavy vehicles, such as trucks and trailers, on specially designed trains running on rails.
The rail motorway concept is based on loading vehicles onto special platforms or wagons at a loading terminal and transporting them by rail at high speeds to another unloading terminal, where they are put back on the road to continue their final journey. This offers several advantages:
Efficiency and cost savings: By using rail for long-distance transport, vehicle fuel and maintenance costs are reduced, as well as carbon emissions. In addition, traffic jams are avoided and the use of roads is optimised.
Increased transport capacity: Rail motorways allow the transport of multiple vehicles on a single train, which significantly increases freight capacity compared to individual road transport.
Reduced road congestion: By shifting heavy vehicles to rail, the presence of trucks on the roads is reduced, reducing traffic congestion and improving fluidity for other road users.
Less wear and tear on road infrastructure: By reducing heavy vehicle traffic on conventional roads, wear and tear and the need for constant maintenance of road infrastructure is reduced.
Improved road safety: By reducing the number of HGVs on the roads, the risk of accidents is reduced and road safety for other road users, such as cars and motorbikes, is improved.
Rail motorways have been implemented in several European countries, such as France, Spain and Germany, and are constantly developing and expanding. In addition to facilitating freight transport, possibilities for passenger transport on road trains are also being explored, which could offer a more sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional road transport.
In summary, rail motorways represent an innovative and sustainable solution for heavy vehicle transport, offering efficiency, cost savings and environmental benefits.
The rail motorway: Connecting Madrid and the port of Valencia efficiently and sustainably
The rail motorway between Madrid and the port of Valencia is closer to becoming operational. This service will enable full truck trailers to be transported on trains, relieving heavy road traffic and bringing it onto the rail tracks.
Tramesa, the logistics operator responsible for this project, has obtained authorisation from the Port Authority of Valencia to operate near the docks for the next 15 years. The company is expected to carry out tests to verify its functionality after the summer and the wheeled freight service is expected to be operational before the end of the year.
To operate in the port of Valencia, Tramesa will invest around 2 million euros in the purchase of the necessary equipment, including a heavy crane for loading and unloading semi-trailers and other vehicles onto trains.
In addition to the equipment, the company will also invest in the purchase of special wagons designed to transport the trailers. However, tight supply and supply chain problems have delayed the project.
Despite the decrease in traffic at the port of Valencia during the year, an increase in container transport by rail has been observed, with an increase of 10.24% compared to the previous year. In total, more than 4,200 trains have been moved in the port of Valencia, with an increase both in their number and in their size and load compared to the previous year.
In short, the rail motorway between Madrid and the port of Valencia is about to start operating. This service, promoted by Tramesa, will allow the transport of full trailers of lorries on trains, taking advantage of the railways to alleviate heavy road traffic.
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