Since mid-September in Madrid Metro Not only trains run with passengers, but goods are also transported. And the suburban has been carrying out the pilot test “Last Mile”through which the company ventures into the logistics sector allowing companies from parcel delivery use the metro network.

The project is part of the M4G initiative of Metro de Madrid, which aims to reduce pollution, avoiding the surface movement of 5,000 packages per day; as well as traffic congestion associated with delivery vans.

So, during the last few weeks GLS Spain has been using specific trains to transport goods in the South Metro Line 12 between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. each day. Specifically, the special convoy collects the packages at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón Central, Hospital Severo Ochoa and Bercial stations, making stops of no more than three minutes, in such a way that it has sought to interfere as little as possible in the movements of the users.

As reported by Metro at the time, the packages are guarded by Metro de Madrid workers, and subsequently, the company takes charge of the packages and proceeds to deliver them to the recipients. According to reports The ConfidentialGLS collects the merchandise and moves it to the Loranca warehouse, in Móstoles, and from there takes them to its distribution center and distributes them in a conventional way.
This pilot test will have a estimated duration of three months and they are already being transported between 700 and 1,000 packages a day.

In addition, throughout the third quarter of the year, a second phase of the project will begin, which will be carried out together with the distribution company. CityLogin. This will be developed in line 3 of the Madrid Metro, at the Embajadores station and it is expected to be able to transport about 400 packages daily.

In this case, the merchandise will be transported from peripheral areas of the capital to the low-emission zone of Madrid through Metro de Madrid. The service will take place at early hours of the morning, before the circulation of user trains begins. In this way, a fast train without passengers will take the packages to the station and the company will collect them and distribute them among customers using ecological means of transport, such as bicycles, or on foot.

This is a pioneering project that aspires to more sustainable freight transport in urban environments. In Madrid, between 300,000 and 400,000 packages are moved per day, and the vast majority are distributed over the surface. As stated in the aforementioned media, referring to data from GLS Spain, the company points out that in the period that the test has been in operation About 1,000 packages have been removed from conventional circulationwhich is equivalent to 40 trucks.

Neither Metro de Madrid nor GLS or CityLogin have shared the economic details behind the project. However, the suburban plans to establish the service if the tests are satisfactory and, then, as stated The Confidentialconvert the proposal into a source of income and revert this to improving the service for users.