For the next three months, Madrid Metro is experimenting with a pilot logistics program that will deliver parcels by train to ease the strain on traffic and the environment.
Madrid’s regional government hopes to reduce the pollution and traffic caused by the over 5,000 parcels delivered daily by using the metro’s underground trains.
The president of the Madrid community, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, says the parcels will only be transported in trains during off-peak hours to avoid disrupting people’s daily commutes.
How will Madrid’s parcel delivery project work?
It’s set to use MetroSur’s Line 12, utilizing “specially designated trains” to transport the parcels from one point to another when most commuters are already at work or home.
Courier company GLS Spain will run/was identified to run the project. The trains will operate between 19:00 and 20:00.
Although 5,000 parcels get sent around Madrid daily, only an estimated 700 parcels per day will be transported via rail.
There will be stops at the following stations:
- Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
- Alcorcón Central
- Hospital Severo Ochoa
- El Bercial
Toward December, more lines will be added in partnership with CITYlogin. This is when an additional 400 parcels per day will be delivered.
Japan uses vacant space on trains for parcel delivery
Madrid is not the first to try out using trains for parcel delivery. In May, Japan started using vacant space on its bullet trains to deliver fresh food in bulk.
These bullet trains are super fast and are not always filled with commuters. Using these bullet trains not only makes them arrive at their destination faster, but it also saves money and the environment.
Staff simply load the boxes onto the train in Japan and offload them at large markets where the trains stop. This initiative has helped the country to shape its last-mile delivery into an ultra-fast delivery option.
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Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
