The incorporation of the underground network into the logistics sector has in view the reduction of street traffic above
Last week, the Madrid regional government, which is in charge of the Madrid metro network, announced that it would start a 3-month trial project, which will see some of the underground trains being used for merchandise deliveries. The aim of the initiative is to reduce the traffic of cargo vehicles on the streets of the city and reduce congestion and pollution.
The first phase of the project, carried out in collaboration with the courier company GLS Spain, involves the circular Line 12 in the south of the Spanish capital.
This is how it will work. A special train will be launched to transport the packages, around 700 a day, between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM, considered off-peak hours.
The train will only stop at four indicated stations on the line, where it will be loaded with the merchandise. The packages will be guarded by Metro Madrid staff and the entire process of loading/unloading the goods will last only three minutes so as not to create a backlog in the regular metro services.
Next station: Last mile
The second phase of the initiative, starting in the last quarter of the year, will take the same model and apply it to Line 3 but using a different courier company. In that case, 400 parcels a day will be delivered to Embajadores station from where they will be redistributed into the city core’s recipient points using ecological means of transport, such as bicycles or delivery people on foot with carts.
In line with this project, the regional government is working on the creation of the future Logistics Agency of the Madrid Region with the aim of making the Spanish autonomous region a role model in the distribution sector throughout southern Europe.
Randy Antes
Read More