In an effort to strengthen intermodal transport in the northeastern peninsular, state-owned Adif has entered into a landmark agreement with CSP Iberian Zaragoza Rail for the lease of facilities at the Zaragoza-Plaza Freight Logistics Center.
This strategic partnership, valued at almost three million euros, will enable the implementation of freight and rail logistics services in this enclave of vital importance for the region. Thanks to this agreement, the development of one of the largest and most important freight terminals in southern Europe, with a surface area of 755,000 square meters, will be boosted and will consolidate its role as one of the main logistics hubs on the Iberian Peninsula.
The future Algeciras-Zaragoza Railway Motorway will find in this center a key element to optimize its operations, thus boosting the modal interchange of goods and improving the efficiency of rail freight transport.
The Zaragoza-Plaza Freight Logistics Center, strategically located just 15 kilometers from Zaragoza, has been the subject of an important agreement between Adif and CSP Iberian Zaragoza Rail. With a lease agreement valued at approximately three million euros, this partnership will provide a significant boost to intermodal transport in the northeast of the peninsula.
The agreement contemplates the assignment of space in the Zaragoza-Plaza Logistics Center, with a total area of 72,545 square meters, which will be used for the development of freight and rail logistics services. The synergy between Adif, the public entity that manages the railway infrastructure in Spain, and CSP Iberian Zaragoza Rail, is focused on enhancing the capacity of this outstanding freight terminal to promote intermodal transport, an option of great relevance for the efficiency and sustainability of freight transport.
The agreed contract will have an initial duration of six years, starting August 1, with the possibility of being extended for up to three additional years. To further strengthen the development of the logistics center, a minimum initial investment of 1.5 million euros has been established for the first two years.
Adif emphasizes that the Zaragoza-Plaza Logistics Center, with its 755,000 square meters of floor space, is the largest freight terminal in southern Europe. In addition to its impressive size, this center is a key element in the strategic network of intermodal terminals promoted by Adif, and plays a fundamental role in the development of the future Algeciras-Zaragoza Railway Highway.
Among the services that the awarded company, CSP Iberian Zaragoza Rail, will offer at the freight terminal are the loading and unloading of semi-trailers belonging to the rail freeway transport, as well as train-related logistics services, such as locomotive shunting and fuel dispensing to rail vehicles.
In addition, the company will be in charge of the handling of Intermodal Transport Units (ITU), i.e. the movement of these units between railcars and trucks, as well as their storage, with the exception of dangerous goods. It will also be responsible for the installation of refrigerated containers, cleaning and repair of ITUs, customs services, management and contracting of haulage, weighing of containers and commercial invoicing of the train and its ITUs, among others.
The strategic location of the Zaragoza-Plaza Freight Logistics Center, next to the Zaragoza airport and the Plaza industrial park, one of the largest in Europe, gives it direct access via the A-2 Madrid-Zaragoza highway. With 16 electrified tracks of 750 meters for train handling, 290,000 square meters reserved for the future development of logistics activities and a loading and unloading yard of 37,000 square meters for the modal exchange of goods, this terminal is positioned as a neuralgic point in the exchange of goods and merchandise in the region.
In summary, the agreement between Adif and CSP Iberian Zaragoza Rail represents a relevant milestone in the strengthening of intermodal transport in the northeast of the peninsula. With the renewed power of the Zaragoza-Plaza Terminal, new opportunities will open up for the optimization of rail freight transport, thus contributing to the economic and sustainable development of the Aragon region and its connections with the rest of the Iberian Peninsula and Europe.
