Rail freight solutions for efficient and sustainable transport to and from Spain and Portugal

Multimodal transport is a generic term for the transport of goods, but also for the
transport of passengers, in which two or more modes of transport are used.

Intermodal transport is limited to the transport of goods in freight transport. The term intermodal transport is used worldwide. It means that goods are transported in the same loading unit or road vehicle by two or more modes of transport. The loading unit changes the mode of transport. The goods to be transported remain in the same loading unit.

Combined transport is a sub-concept of intermodal transport in Europe, in which the main part of the journey is made by rail, inland waterway or sea, and the pre- and post-carriage by road is kept as short as possible.

Beyond the conceptual differences, the aim is to get the best out of the individual
modes of transport and to combine their advantages. TRAINMILE combines the
flexibility and range of road transport with the efficiency, safety and sustainability of rail.

From our customer’s factory or warehouse to the end customer, we offer a
complete solution with our DOOR to DOOR Service. TRAINMILE arranges for the
truck to arrive at the point of departure. The goods are loaded and transported to
the intermodal terminal. The swap body or semi-trailer is then placed on the train
for the long journey. On arrival at the intermodal terminal closest to the destination, the swap body or semi-trailer is unloaded and trucked the last few kilometres to the end customer.

The TERMINAL to TERMINAL Service, on the other hand, offers rail transport from an intermodal departure terminal to an intermodal arrival terminal. This service is primarily aimed at other forwarders and carriers who provide their own road transport.

Shuttle trains are fixed fleets of wagons that run at regular intervals on pre-defined
routes. It makes no difference whether semi-trailers, containers or conventional
wagons are being transported. These pre-defined routes allow fast and efficient.

In Spain, the term “autopista ferroviaria” refers exclusively to the transport of semi trailers. This requires the use of special wagons: pocket wagons. In addition, the lines on which these “autopista ferroviaria” operate must have a higher loading  gauge (P400 – P420) than the usual gauges for the transport of containers or conventional wagons. In Spain, “autopista ferroviaria” are currently only used on the Madrid – Valencia line. The Zaragoza – Algeciras line is scheduled to be opened to  “autopista ferroviaria” by 2026.

We specialise in routes along the Atlantic corridor linking Portugal and Spain with France, the Benelux countries and Germany. 

Our logistics solutions are based on the principle of transporting goods by rail for most of the journey, and by road for the first and last few kilometres. 

By choosing us, you automatically reduce the CO2 emissions of your transport to around 75% compared to pure road transport. We can even offer you to about 100% green electricity for long distance transport. 

Whether Door to Door, Terminal to Terminal, flexibility service or simply cost effective and efficient transport from A to B, we offer comprehensive and sensible solutions. 

At TRAINMILE, we focus on transparency in the industry: with us, you know where your goods are, who is moving them and under what environmental conditions they are being transported. 

An intermodal loading unit is a load carrier that, together with its load, changes the mode of transport in a combined transport operation.  

These loading units include the semi-trailer, the swap body and the container. Each of these types is available in several variants to meet the different requirements of freight transport. Among the most important features are the standardised external dimensions and the pick-up points that make it possible to change the mode of transport.