The port of Cadiz, in southern Spain, is investing in a new container terminal where rail is expected to play a prominent role. The facility will in fact be connected to the country’s main rail network, thanks to a contract for over 7 million euros awarded to Ferrovial Construcción.
“The execution of this first phase includes a 1.78 km main branch and a 615-meter shunting line”, the Cadiz Port Authority specified. Moreover, the project will be complemented by a 111-metre section, which will link the port to a switch at the Cadiz station.
In a second phase, the two lines will be extended to 2.06 kilometres and 890 metres respectively, enabling the handling of 750-metre trains. The project should be completed by 2026, as that is the deadline for the commissioning of phase two.
The future container terminal in Cadiz
The new facility represents an investment of 58 million euros in total. The dock is currently being extended to 1,100 meters with a draft of 16 meters. The terminal will cover a surface of 40 hectares. Once in full operations, the terminal will be able to move 350,000 containers every year.
The ideas for the development of rail freight at the port of Cadiz do not only concern containers. For example, the Spanish ministry of transport is considering establishing a rolling highway service, for transporting semi-trailers on freight trains, between the port and the country’s capital Madrid.
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