Aragon’s main railway network is on the verge of “collapse”. Works in the Mediterranean corridor and near the ports of Barcelona and Tarragona are already causing significant losses for operators.who see how Renfe is barely able to fulfill 15% of its commitments in Aragon due to the blockades in these areas.
This has been evident in recent weeks at the Zaragoza Maritime Terminal (TMZ), which is experiencing a 70% drop in activity. The reason lies in the works on the Roda de Berà tunnel (Tarragona), which began on October 1 and will continue until March. An estimated 40% of train paths available through Renfe are unused and Cosco, one of the main railway players, has canceled train services between Barcelona and Zaragoza until further notice.
Actually, There are specific sectors, with strong economic impact, threatened by this rail blockade.which could even be forced to stop their production, such as that of alfalfa or pork. Additionally, there is a risk that operators will choose other routes and platforms will lose customers in the long term.
Both the government of Aragon and those responsible for TMZ have already warned of the “very serious” crisis that could arise if this diversion of traffic is not quickly corrected. The Executive does not doubt the necessity of undertaking this work, but it considers that it has acted “with alarming levels of improvisation”. and without alternatives to avoid irreparable damage to the railway sector.
Work online with Madrid
And, furthermore, this situation could worsen in the coming months, when, From April, the connection between Madrid and Zaragoza of Mercancías and Media Distancia will be cut off to traffic until the end of the year. for the tunnel works of the railway motorway with Algeciras. Adif suggests as an alternative to make the connection via Medina del Campo and Miranda de Ebro via Logroño.
Users of the line between Teruel and Valencia, which will be cut to condition the tunnels and adapt them to a rail highway. This will mean a road break of six to nine months. “We are going to be cut off on all sides. If Renfe does not adapt and if Adif does not plan correctly and in a coordinated manner, there will be a complete collapse,” warned the Director General of Transport, Miguel Ángel Anía.
Up to 400 euros increase per container
And from the area, they keep looking at him with the greatest concern. It is not in vain that the association of freight forwarders Ateia warns that The cost of each container could skyrocket to 400 euros, not counting all the environmental damage they were trying to minimize.. “We are all advocating for less polluting transport and the train contributes to that, but not having strategic planning generates these things. There must be a structure to study the conditions and propose alternatives,” warned its president, Ismael de Marcos.
At present, The Aragonese platforms and the port of Barcelona are filling with loaded containers, ready for export and impossible to move.. “We can travel by truck or go to Valencia. The train must be reliable with regular movement of goods. By stopping the train and detecting this problem, there is no other alternative we can jump to,” he remarked.
SO, The freight forwarders’ association, which brings together international transport companies and customs, hopes that this warning will help to resolve these problems in the future. and work with sufficient planning. “Creating a railway line and gaining customer trust is expensive, but it is very easy to lose it,” warned De Marcos.
