If the Mediterranean Corridor was operational and a grower from Almeria chose to use it for fruit and vegetable exports, they would save an average of about six cents per kilo. And this would be from a purely economic point of view, besides the obvious environmental benefits of rail transport compared to other logistics options, such as trucks, which are used almost exclusively today. The figure has been offered by the Valencian Association of Entrepreneurs, and given Almeria's horticultural exports as a whole, the argument is very convincing.
According to figures from the Andalusian Council of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, Almeria sold 2.6 million tonnes of produce outside the Spanish borders. At six cents per kilo, the switch to rail transport would entail the saving of approximately 160 million Euro.
Given these figures, the construction of the railroad between Murcia and Almería, which would require an investment of about 2.5 billion Euro, would be profitable in just fifteen years, and that is taking into account that this type of infrastructure has a lifespan that exceeds a hundred years.
"It would take between 7 and 16 trains a day to export the 5.6 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables produced annually in Almeria, Murcia and Alicante, which would mean about 5,000 trains per year. At the moment, rail transport only accounts for 0.07% of the shipments abroad, compared to the 99% of road transport," reports the Valencian Association of Entrepreneurs.
This association has been especially active in promoting the investment in infrastructure in the Peninsula's Mediterranean region, as well as in the completion of the corridor connecting Algeciras with the French border. A few months ago, it commissioned the shooting of an aerial video, in a helicopter, to demonstrate how the development of the Mediterranean Corridor has come to a halt in many places, like Vandellós, Tarragona, Castellon or Murcia, but especially in Almeria, which "receives the worst treatment when it comes to investment in the Spanish rail system," said one of the members of the association while the helicopter flies over the capital of Almeria.
As a result of all this, acts in support of the Mediterranean Corridor are being organised by the association with the support of Asempal and the Chamber of Commerce of Almeria.
Source: Ideal.es
