RAIL TRAFFIC

The rail share was 13% of total traffic in 2016

The Port of Barcelona's firm commitment to multimodality has seen the rail share grow from 3.2% of total traffic in 2006 to 13% in 2016.

The number of containers that entered or left the port by rail amounted to 225,996 TEU, representing an increase of 6% over 2015.

Rail traffic vehicle also performed very well, with a total of 271,669 units transported (+2.86%). 33.54% of all vehicles that entered or left the Port of Barcelona used the rail mode.

Most of the vehicle rail traffic was for unloading, with 254,716 units (+5.55%) for export by sea. Rail traffic of export vehicles for loading, destined for the hinterland, involved 16,953 units transported. Most of these vehicles loaded - 14,624 units in all - were travelling to destinations using UICgauge tracks. Barcelona is the first port in Spain to be connected to the European continent using international gauge track.

Another highlight of the year was the launch in December 2016 of a new rail service connecting the Port of Barcelona and Zaragoza, able to operate trains specialised in refrigerated traffic.

33.54% of all vehicles that entered or left the Port were transported by rail