Spain is set to have a new intermodal terminal in the Cantabria region, following the signing of an agreement for its construction in Llano de La Pasiega, a logistics and industrial hub situated in the municipality of Piélagos. The total value of the project is EUR 62 million.
The document was signed by the railway infrastructure manager Adif and the regional authorities, in the presence of the Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, and the President of Cantabria, María José Sáenz de Buruaga.
The new terminal will be built on a site covering over 140,000 square metres and will be connected to the Palencia–Santander railway line. The project aims to strengthen rail freight transport and integrate it into multimodal logistics chains, alongside road and maritime transport.
“This is a firm and concrete commitment, which dispels any doubts that may have existed regarding the decision taken by the two governments,” said Minister Óscar Puente.
Investment funded equally
The agreement sets out the terms of cooperation and funding between the Spanish central government and the Autonomous Community of Cantabria, as well as the framework for the operation of the future terminal. The investment required for project design and construction works amounts to EUR 62 million, including VAT.
Funding will be provided 50 per cent by Adif and 50 per cent by Suelo Industrial de Cantabria (SICAN), a company owned by Cantabria which is responsible for the development and management of land and industrial estates in Cantabria, including infrastructure and logistics projects.
Upon completion of the project, the two entities will hold the intermodal terminal in equal shares, as co-owners.
The new terminal forms part of a wider project to develop an intermodal and interregional logistics hub in Cantabria. The hub will benefit from port, rail and road connections and will cover a gross area of 200 hectares.
The project forms part of the Spanish Government’s ‘Mercancías 30’ initiative (the ‘Freight 30’ strategy), which aims to increase the share of rail freight transport to 10 per cent. The Spanish authorities regard the development of rail freight transport as a key factor in reducing emissions and increasing the sustainability of the transport system.
The construction of the Llano de La Pasiega terminal is also a long-standing request by the Government of Cantabria. In 2024, the funding mechanism for the project was agreed, which will enable an increase in the available freight capacity at the Port of Santander and a more efficient connection between trains, ships and lorries.
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