Private operator MedwaySwiss shipping giant company MSK Which Renfe seeks to forge an industrial alliance to help revive its loss-making freight business; it is the company that is growing the most year over year in the commodities business.

Latest report on National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) notes that the private operator is growing the most year-on-year, despite the overall context declining in both net tonnes/km and net tonnes in the last quarter.

Renfe Mercancías fell 13.2% and 9.2% respectively; Captain 12.4% and 8.1%, Continental 8.6% and 7%, Broadcast less than 5% for both indicators; and Medway 14.6% and 11.9%.

This latter company sees its business grow by 26.6% year-on-year in terms of net tons while Renfe loses 20.6%. In terms of quota, yes, the public moves 2.8 million tonnes compared to 340,900 tonnes in Medway. But from the point of view train/kilometerRenfe shares fell 14.2% year on year, with the Portuguese logistics and freight operator chaired by Carlos Vasconcelos sees its business growing by 62.7%.

The public company is exploring integration with the MSC group. The original idea was for Renfe Mercancías to transfer its assets, personnel and a very significant part of its business to a company with common capital with the shipping group. Although the terms of this alliance have not yet been specified.

One possibility is to transfer it to an existing company; or create a joint venture between both companies. This latter option would delay the operation, which still needs to be approved by the Government Delegation Commission for Economic Affairs and Council of Ministers and go through the appropriate competition filters.

Medway was created in 2016 as a result of the purchase of Portuguese state-owned operator CP Cargo by the MSC group in an operation launched by the Portuguese executive. In Spain, the process of selecting a new partner for Renfe Mercancías began last year to transform it into an integrated logistics operator, guaranteeing its sustainability and growth in the medium to long term.

The project, approved by Renfe management, involves the provision of a guarantee of employment for 100% of Renfe Mercancías workers, either by joining a new project or in Renfe, without any damage. According to the operator, Renfe Mercancías will continue to be a 100% owned company of Renfe Operadora.

The company is engaged in the transport of goods in container trains and complete trains and currently provides 50,000 transport services per year. For its part, MSC is a global leader in shipping, logistics and container transport. The idea is that the new company integrates the railway services themselves into the complete logistics chain provided by the companies of the MSC group, into which Medlog SA is integrated.

Medway’s intention is to operate from the Iberian Peninsula to France and to northern Europe, reaching where Iberian exports go and imports come from.

General decline

In general, there is a negative signal in the rail freight industry. And all this despite the fact that the central government launched a strategy Products 30through which it is expected to raise the mode share from less than 5% to 10% by the end of the decade.

He full carriage there is a sharper decline compared to the second quarter than intermodal car: about 15% in terms of nett.km, train.km and revenue and almost 11% in nett.km.

In turn, year-to-year data shows a smaller drop in revenue, net tons and train-km, less than 5%, but 13.8% in net ton-km. In intermodal cars, the decline compared to 23Q2 is 6.1% in net tonne-kilometers and 4.5% in net tons. Compared to last year, there is an even greater decrease in both net tons and net km (-15.7% and -13.8%, respectively).

Agreement at Captrain

The Union of Railway Drivers (Semaf) signed this Monday the first additional agreement of the railway sector with Captainthe second largest rail transport company in Spain after Renfe.

The agreement includes insurance against loss of license which will compensate drivers who lost their license due to unforeseen circumstances resulting in failure to undergo a medical examination. There is also assistance provided in the event of the birth of disabled children.

Regarding professional development, the text formally regulates the professional careers of train drivers, establishing a number of categories and incentives throughout the career of train drivers.