Finished vehicle traffic continues to rise at the northern Spanish port of Santander. In the first three quarters, it handled 264,852 units, equivalent to growth of just more than 20%, meaning it is on course to beat its 2005 record of 320,000 vehicles for the year as a whole.
Indeed, for January-September 2014, the number of finished vehicles passing through the port was up by 44,385 units compared to the same period in 2013.
In September this year, traffic in this segment was up by 17.4%.
The port authority is in the process of improving the ro-ro terminal, where a tender has been issued for resurfacing work. The work, which will take place over a three-month period, has an estimated cost of €1.05m ($1.3m), with bidders given the deadline for offers by 5 December 2014.
A second tender, also linked to the new vehicles terminal located at the Espigón Central on Raos quay, has also been issued, covering work on a fourth rail siding. This must be completed within four months, with a base price set at just more than €921,000. It will be built to the north of the three existing tracks and be some 660 metres in length. Currently, the load factor on trains serving the terminal is extremely high, so the new siding is needed to ensure the port can continue to offer high levels of quality.
In 2013, Santander port handled 309,000 new vehicles, the large majority of which were shipped by rail.
