BEST, Best for Rail

Hutchison Port Holdings Limited (HPH) subsidiary Barcelona Europe South Terminal (BEST) moved 15,000 TEU via rail in August, breaking its previous record of 13,000 TEU set in March of this year. During August BEST serviced nearly 300 trains, a 25% increase on its monthly average.

The terminal is equipped with two Rail Mounted Gantry cranes allowing trains to be loaded in an average of 1.5 hours per train and unloaded in one hour. Each train has 22 wagons with capacity for 72 TEU.

Guillermo Belcastro General Manager of BEST commented, “This is an important milestone for BEST and the Port of Barcelona. With the continued hard work and support from the stevedores and the Barcelona Port Community we hope to sustain this trend for growth.”

Rail traffic at BEST has increased significantly in recent years, increasing from 7.17% of local traffic in 2010 to 19% currently.

BEST has an eight-track railway facility, the biggest on-dock railway terminal of any port in the Mediterranean. The rail facilities currently serve a large hinterland within a 600 kilometer radius of Barcelona. The potential market for rail has expanded in recent years supporting the strategic objective of the Port of Barcelona to become the Mediterranean’s alternative access point for European markets.

Best operates an average of 65 weekly services to and from main destinations; Azuqueca (Madrid), Lisboa, Noain (Pamplona), Selgua, Zaragoza Plaza, Zaragoza TMZ, Villafria (Burgos), Tarragona, and France.

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