MSC’s rail freight arm Medway started operating a new terminal in Badajoz, located on the Spanish border with Portugal. “This terminal allows the operation of trains up to 750 metres and can store up to 1,200 containers”, Medway said.
The terminal in Badajoz is one of three facilities that Medway plans on operating by 2025. The other two are located in Navalmoral de la Mata, midway between Badajoz and Madrid, and Mérida, roughly 60 kilometres west of Badajoz. All terminals will be managed by a company called Extremadura Avante Logística, of which Medway owns 49 per cent and the remaining 51 per cent is in the hands of the public consortium Extremadura Avante.
Medway leaving Portugal?
Increasing its presence in Spain has been in Medway’s plans for quite some time. The company’s headquarters are in Portugal but is ready to relocate to Spain due to disagreements with the Lusitan government. Too high track access charges and the lack of incentives are what’s pushing Medway out of the country.
The terminals in Badajoz, Navalmoral de la Mata and Mérida might play a key role in this process. They are all fairly close to the Portuguese border, especially Badajoz. The city is at the end of a rail section, currently under construction, between Évora and Elvas, in Portugal. This new line should significantly shorten the connections between the Portuguese port of Sines with Badajoz.