Medway, MSC’s rail freight subsidiary, will soon start operating three intermodal terminals in the Spanish region of Extremadura, near the border with Portugal. The three facilities are Badajoz, Mérida, Navalmoral de la Mata.
The three terminals are all expected to commence operations between October 2024 and March 2025, as Spanish media El Mercantil mentioned. The first one should be the facility in Badajoz, which should be ready by October. The terminal in Navalmoral de la Mata should be commissioned by December, while the one in Mérida should begin operations in March 2025.
The initial plan is to have six daily trains in each facility, three coming in and three coming out. In total, thus, 18 trains will run between the three terminals. Moreover, the idea is to add eight more trains over the next 10 years. One of the main objectives is to turn these new terminals into intermodal nodes. For example, Medway wants to move wood loading processes from Entroncamento, in the heart of Portugal, to the new facilities in the Spanish region of Extremadura.
Boosting Spain-Portugal traffic?
Partnership with Extremadura Avante, a group of public companies in the Spanish region. The two entities established Extremadura Avante Logística, which will manage and operate the three terminals. Medway owns 49 per cent of the new company, with the remaining 51 per cent being in the hands of the public consortium.
Having three new facilities near the Spanish border with Portugal might also boost cross-border traffic. For instance, Badajoz is located at the end of a rail section, currently under construction, between Évora and Elvas, in Portugal. This new line will be a key piece of the Atlantic Corridor and it should significantly shorten the connections between the Lusitan port of Sines with Badajoz.
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