MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the second largest container shipping company in the world, has announced the launch of a new freight rail service.
Connecting Spanish exporters with international markets, the service will improve supply chain links between Seville, Cordoba and destinations in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Far East.
Beginning in October 2018, the rail connection will run from Puerto de Sevilla, Cordoba’s cargo rail terminal and the Port of Valencia, a major hub port in the Mediterranean.
Rob Zuidwijk, Rotterdam School of Management, discusses smart ports in global supply chains in a recent Port Technology technical paper
According to a statement by MSC, the service will provide “better connectivity and improved transit times for exporters” in southern regions of Spain, including agricultural producers.
The new route is also expected to complement a freight rail service between Seville and the Atlantic, which began operating in April 2018.
Thanks to new technologies, European fruit producers now take aim at the booming Chinese market. https://t.co/babQkiDRKv #freshproduce #reefershipping pic.twitter.com/1tK1WURRQa
— MSC Cargo (@MSCCargo) September 16, 2018
This route, also running from Puerto de Sevilla, connects the region to the coastal port hub of Sines, Portugal, appealing to international importers supplying Spanish markets.
MSC has stated that the Atlantic service has “already benefited Iberian shippers seeking better, faster access to market for their produce and goods”.