The European Investment Bank (EIB) granted one million euros to a consortium of companies from Catalunya to carry out a study to develop four rail freight terminals in the Spanish region. The study will last 15 months and will investigate which of the projects, all along the TEN-T Mediterranean Corridor, should be prioritised.
The four facilities are the Empordà Intermodal Terminal, north of Girona, the La Plana terminal in Lleida, a terminal in Terres de l’Ebre and one in Penedès. The project is led by Cimalsa, a public company belonging to the Catalan government, and the port of Barcelona. The port of Tarragona is also expected to join the consortium, which will then operate the terminals, as Spanish media Transportexxi mentioned.
The four terminals in Catalunya
The Empordà Intermodal Terminal, near the Spanish border with France, is already built but is no longer operational. Here, the plan is to implement the standard gauge, with a tender expected to be put out soon. Big logistics companies such as VIIA and Tradisa have already expressed interest in this project.
The La Plana terminal in Lleida is located along the Barcelona-Zaragoza-Madrid axis, which runs on the Iberian gauge. For this site, Cimalsa has already launched an environmental impact study. Moreover, Spain invested in the expansion of railway sidings in the Lleida area so that longer freight trains could be accommodated.
The terminal in Terres de l’Ebres seems to be the one with a lower demand for rail freight traffic. However, Kronospan, one of the world’s largest particle board and laminate flooring manufacturers, recently opened a facility in the area and expressed interest in using the railway for its transport services. Finally, the future terminal in Penedès will be tightly linked to the port of Barcelona, although further information is not yet available.