Seat, the Spanish automobile manufacturer, and Autometro signed a contract renewal of the rail transport services to transport the vehicles from the SEAT production plant in Martorell (Catalonia, Spain) and the Port of Barcelona. Autometro is an affiliate company of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) and Comsa Rail Transport.
“The renewal of the agreement is clear proof of SEAT’s commitment to rail transport and an example of the benefits of collaboration between the public and private sector. SEAT is Spain’s largest industrial export company and needs transportation infrastructure that contributes to generating wealth in society. SEAT will remain committed to logistics to make the distribution of vehicles more flexible, efficient and sustainable,” Seat Vice-president for Production and Logistics, Christian Vollmer, said.
The train services, operated by Catalan Regional Railway, currently transports an average of 105,000 vehicles per year. This service relies on a 411-meter train with articulated double-decker carriages that can carry 170 vehicles.
Under the agreement, both companies are extending operation of the Autometro service by a further three years. During this time, several technical studies will be carried out that will enable complementary rail traffic and adjust the service to the current needs of the Martorell factory. At present, these trains make three trips a day from Monday to Friday and are integrated in the Baix Llobregat Metro rail service.
The Autometro service runs on the FGC’s Llobregat-Anoia line, whose track is about 50 meters from the Seat plant and has a branch line to connect it and enters in the Port of Barcelona via an access track to the unloading zone. Once in the harbor, the vehicles are exported by means of maritime transport to their final destination.
Currently, Seat exports more than 80% of the vehicles produced in Martorell and deliver them using rail services contributes to the reduction of the number of accidents. The Autometro line alone reduced road transport by around 25,000 trucks annually on the route between Martorell and Barcelona. In October, the Autometro line posted the figure of one million vehicles transported since it opened in 2008.
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