Port accessThe Director of Operations, Commerce and Logistics of the Port Authority of Bilbao will take part in the panel discussion entitled “Economies of scale: the response of ports”
On 6 and 7 September, the European logistics industry will meet at RailFreight Connects 2023, an event designed for professionals from the railway sector, terminal operators and players in the logistics chain. The event, to be held in the port city of Bremen, Germany, will provide an opportunity to learn about the latest trends, to share knowledge and to network to promote collaboration in the development of rail intermodality, with a particular focus on the intermodal synergies that can be generated around ports.
Andima Ormaetxe, Director of Operations, Commerce and Logistics of the Port Authority of Bilbao, will take part in the panel discussion on “Economies of scale: the response of ports“, alongside Dominik Landa, Commercial and Intermodal Director of HHLA International, and Mario Franzone, from the Department of Planning and Development of the EU Policy and Logistics Office of Ports of Genoa. During the event, different visions will be put forward from the perspective of the ports on aspects such as collaboration with large shipping lines and the projected growth in the size and volume of megaships. The panellists in the round table will also discuss the role that institutions such as the EU, the European Commission and member state governments should play to promote relations between ports and the rail network, how port authorities and rail infrastructure managers could collaborate to develop such a relationship and the main bottlenecks in the field of rail and port connections.
In the course of the event, other issues under discussion will include the investments being made to connect railways and ports, the problems and advantages of shipping alliances for intermodality, the financing of rail infrastructure, the capacity to manage and optimise the logistics chain networks, transport in times of war, bottlenecks and how to minimise their impact, the modernisation of the rail logistics sector and the challenges posed by sustainability and digitalisation.
RailFreight Connects 2023 will be held simultaneously with the Project Cargo Summit, an event geared towards the breakbulk and project cargo industry. Those attending the two events will come together on several occasions and will be able to attend the breakout sessions of both events.
For further information, go to RailFreight Connects 2023
Expanded rail services
In 2022, a total of 4,243 trains entered and/or left the Port of Bilbao, and 27% of containers now use the railway. Major progress has been made in recent years in the management of rail-port traffic. On the one hand, the Port Authority has now assumed the management of rail traffic within the port and has taken on responsibility for shunting operations to provide a universal, neutral and competitive service 24/7. Furthermore, a new 750 metre long siding is being built at Orduña station to speed up and improve the operation of convoys transporting goods between the port of Bilbao and the Spanish Meseta.
At the same time, rail services have been extended and, this summer, a rail link with the Intermodal Logistics Centre of La Rioja, in the town of Agoncillo, was launched. With this new service, there are now rail connections from the port of Bilbao to Abroñigal, Arasur, Azuqueca, Barcelona, Coslada, Jundiz, La Rioja, Noáin, Nonduermas, Pancorbo, Seville, Silla, Valencia, Vicálvaro, Villafría and Zaragoza.
