DB Cargo leaves Spanish freight market
German rail freight operator DB Cargo has sold the intermodal business of its Spanish subsidiary Transfesa to shipping company Boluda Corporación Marítima. The move marks a further retreat from unprofitable markets as DB Cargo restructures its European network.
The transaction transfers Transfesa’s general freight operations to Valencia-based Boluda, which becomes Spain’s second-largest rail freight operator after state-owned Renfe Mercancías. DB Cargo retains Transfesa’s automotive transport and international services linking the Iberian Peninsula with the rest of Europe.
Transfesa held a 5.2% share of Spain’s rail freight market in 2024, moving 781,000 tonnes – a 16.7% decline from the previous year. Its operations include gauge-changing installations at the French border in Hendaye and Cerbère.
Boluda gains access to industrial freight, maintenance, shunting and terminal services across Spain. “Rail freight is establishing itself as a sustainable and efficient transport mode, becoming a strategic pillar of our intermodal logistics,” said Ignacio Boluda, executive chairman of Boluda Shipping.
The sale comes as DB Cargo implements a turnaround plan under pressure from the German government to reduce heavy losses. The operator reported a EUR 357 million deficit in 2024 and plans to cut 5,000 jobs by 2029.