The Ministry of Transport continues with its plan so that the goods that today make almost full use of Spanish highways start to circulate on the railways that span a large part of the country. And the arrival of European funds has become the perfect opportunity to accelerate this process that includes, among many factors, the development of rail motorways, the introduction of new technologies or the renovation of all kinds of assets.
For this reason, an aid program aimed at companies in the transport sector was included in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) in order to make it more sustainable and digital. Once the concession has been resolved, the Government will mobilize 445.4 million euros in aid for 73 companies, both public and private, which will develop 122 projects focused mainly on improving the competitiveness of the railway, but also of the highways of inestas and of new hydroelectric stations. .
Subsidies for electric locomotives
Of all of them, 334.8 million will be allocated to projects related to freight by train, such as the purchase of 1,932 wagons for different private operators. Of the total, 96 million will subsidize the purchase of 59 new electric locomotives by current market players such as Renfe Mercancías, Continental Rail, Captrain or the Portuguese Medway.
Other players that have been arriving later in the transport of goods by train have also received aid, such as Rail & Truck, a company owned by the shipping company CMA-CGM, the logistics company Marcotran and Eco Rail that has its sights set on the new railway motorway. Between Algeciras and Zaragoza. These aids are completed by Low Cost Rail, Athos Rail and Go Transport, which operate traffic with old Renfe locomotives sold at an auction held in 2018.
The rest of the concepts are broken down into 13.4 million to install the ERTMS signaling system in 73 Renfe Mercancías locomotives and the private companies Captrain and Medway; 14 million for a project that makes it possible to make circulation on the Iberian and standard gauges compatible; replace brake pads on 4,155 wagons to reduce their noise, or to build or renovate private terminals and cargo companies seeking greater synergy with the industry.
Agreements with the industry to change the logistics model
Seat, for example, will receive 3.4 million to improve the railway facilities at its Martorell plant; while Volkswagen will receive 5.8 million to run a terminal at its plant in Navarra. Grupo Alonso is another of the companies that chooses to transfer its logistics to the tracks and will receive 5.8 million to connect its terminals to the network; while Railsider will do the same at its Sagunto (Valencia) terminal.
In addition, the investment in rail freight transport is complemented by another 13.2 million euros to be shared with the maritime sector for digitization projects. These will focus on improving intermodality and port procedures, actors considered essential by the Ministry in this modal change; in addition to projects to identify and trace 223 locomotives and 965 wagons.
The Government plans to pay 30% of the subsidies granted before the end of this year 2022 so that the beneficiaries formally begin to give their plans.
