The rail freight service between the port of Algeciras (straight of Gibraltar) and Bobadilla (Malaga) was restored on 13 of May. The service was suspended due to floods on the rail track beside the Tinajas river in October 2018. Civil works have taken seven months.

As a result, the port of Algeciras recovers its rail link between the dock “Isla Verde Exterior” and the rail freight station of Abroñigal in Madrid. This rail freight service works between Monday and Friday.

Upgrades

In addition, the port authority has announced to start civil works to upgrade the rail network, electrifying it and enabling to reach the logistical area of Zaragoza, 250 kilometres far from Madrid and Barcelona. This upgrade will also increase rail traffic between Algeciras, Cordoba and Seville, all of them in Andalusia.

Algeciras is the largest port in Southern Spain, having overtaken European ports with a similar position on the route between the Suez Canal and Gibraltar straight, such as the Italian of Gioia Tauro. However, the Moroccan port of Tangier is already a strong competitor for Algeciras, having attracted several shipping lines due to automotive plants in northern Morocco.

Algeciras

The port authority of Algeciras is betting on automating processes and improving rail connectivity in order not to lose sea shipping traffics. The Andalusian port handled 27 million tonnes of goods in Q1 2019, 1.5 per cent more than in the same period in the previous year, enjoying healthy growth.