"DIVERSYFY BORDERS IS IMPORTANT FOR RENFE"
ALVARO GRAIñO
Nowadays, what is turnover of combined transport in Renfe?
We are going to finish the financial year with a volume of transport around 800.000 Twenty Equivalent Unity [TEU]. Distance average is about 700 km, 200 km of them in other countries. In handling terms, we can talk about 1.500.000 or 1.600.000 TEUs in this financial year. The turnover is more than 21.800 millions pesetas, approximately 1.000 millions more than two years ago. As regards the evolution planned, we think that next year it will increase 6 per cent, beating 23.000 millions pesetas.
What about assets in combined transport unit?
Our assets are composed of 150 engines, thirty tractive engines and 1.800 employees involved in this business, even though more people work indirectly. As regards wagons, we have a freight stock-still capacity of 10.000 TEU daily, equivalent to 2.500 lorries. We have our own 24 terminals and work in others ports like Bilbao, Valencia, Barcelona, Algeciras, Gijón....
Regarding our commercial activities, we have three differents markets: maritime, land and international, but this one is inside European Union, and really international is the maritime market.
What do advantages offer combined transport towards road transport?
I think that one of our attributes is standardized offer, that is, no planning, 800 possibilities daily. It's important this potencial towards other system of transport. It's important to point out that our trains are complete and regulars -we offer economic advantages derived from sistematize the transport to our customers.
Flexibility is other of our attributes, since every day 100 trains connect one of mains industrial places and ports and it is difficult that other system of transport can offer this. Likewise, we offer safety and reliability. Moreover, it is important to point out that combined transport by train is more profitable than by road and viceversa.Renfe has signed an agreement with Grimaldi (shipping company), What does the agreement highlight?
The agreement with Grimaldi has involved a new product design based on Short Sea Shipping. This product includes documentation, single price, speaker and response as much information as logistic. All of these elements caused that we had signed the agreement with Grimaldi.
This is the way for eliminate borders, Spain is a country eminently maritime an it not only depends on land borders. In such a way that we understand in Renfe that it is important diversified borders consequently have developed products, contemplating maritime stage as a part of our logistic. we had already done in the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, and we are thinking expand our products in Europe.
Ports receive more goods every year
Saint Gotardo and Mont Blanc crashes have called into question road transport in safety terms. Does it mean a boost to railway transport?
Accidents always causes a increased awareness. However, goods trains and combined transport ought to increase transport demand, mainly in Europe, re-balancing on differents kinds of transport. Nevertheless, we have to be more competitives as much price as transit time and reliability. In that way, we have to lay basis about good trains in Europe if we want to be competitives. we have already signed treaties. For instance, European Transport Ministers Conference has signed an agreement about interfeasibility, railway lines will have similar conditions, without barriers and competitiveness.
Are others agreements planned through ports with countries like the last one with Grimaldi?
We are working with Bilbao port making a similar product that allows a new alternative towards North ports like Finland, Norway and Sweden. But nowadays we are under consideration these possibilities. We pretend create logistic.
What is the future about performance features trains in the short and long term?
New lines will produce a direct benefit, leaving conventional lines exclusively for goods. At the present moment, goods trains and passengers trains are coexisting, with differents speeds and we have to adjust them on tracks. We will get important benefits like Madrid-Sevilla high-speed line. What is more, works like this are infraestructures in a big way, and always bring benefits and imporovements.
Railway transport deregulation is a reality in Spain. Which consequences and Renfe strategies will combined transport have?
Deregulation produces effects like price decrease and competition increase, but it has a specially favourable part, market dynamism, being an incentive in our business. We are used to compete with road and maritime transport. However, we have to learn this new environment. Nowadays, we are absolute leaders and we cant allow that our experience and position were wasted. For that reason we have an alliances strategy, openning markets and changing relations, not under customer-supplier but like a partner and active collaborator.
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