The train with containers of the Spanish company Renfe Mercancías, loaded with Ukrainian grain, arrived in Barcelona on October 6. At the same time, the question of the expediency of such transportation is currently being discussed due to a number of difficulties in loading and transportation, ProAgro Group reports with reference to Agravery.
As noted, before reaching Spain, the train traveled 2400 km from the Helm terminal on the Polish-Ukrainian border through Lodz and Duisburg. As a result, 600 tons of grain in twenty-five 40-foot containers were brought to the Can Tunis railway terminal in Barcelona. “The train has reached its final destination; however, this may not be enough to fully appreciate the service, as the Spanish Ministry of Transport has faced the harsh reality of the Ukrainian border and the European rail network.
The first problems arose at the terminal in Chelm, where, according to the Spanish authorities, “it was impossible to foresee the situation of congestion, which made it difficult to load the Renfe containers, as it caused significant delays”. The train arrived in Helm in the first week of September, and the loading procedure began after September 15. In addition, there was the issue of compatibility of infrastructure and equipment.
As explained, the grain cargo did not arrive from Ukraine to Poland by rail, instead it was transported by trucks. Then the grain had to be reloaded into containers. It is reported that “it was a very laborious process, which took place with the help of cranes”. In addition, the train was delayed for several days on its way due to a strike on the French railway.
“The initiative showed that in the current context, long-distance rail transport requires a great deal of coordination between the various actors involved,” the Spanish Ministry of Transport concluded.
