The operators of the Madrid and Delhi metros have agreed to co-operate to assess how far their networks could be used for urban parcel distribution.
The agreement, formalised on April 9, builds on a trial that Metro de Madrid has been running since September 2024 under the title ‘Última Milla’ or ‘last mile’. This has seen 26 000 parcels carried on Line 12 and 7 000 carried on Line 3.
Metro de Madrid launched the initiative as part of the EU-backed For Freight research project, aimed at reducing pollution and congestion in urban areas caused by delivery of lightweight freight. On April 8-10, Madrid hosted a conference for the partners in the programme, and the metro operator carried out a demonstration on April 9 for the benefit of delegates.
A consignment was loaded onto a DHL lorry at a large logistics base in the outer suburbs of the city, and taken by road to the metro depot at Villaverde. There it was loaded onto a train on Line 3 and taken to Embajadores station, where the parcels were placed in automated lockers to await collection by the consumers and companies which had ordered them.
Delhi Metro Rail Corp signed a formal agreement with Metro de Madrid on March 27 to share knowledge and best practice in urban logistics. At the end of April, Metro de Madrid representatives are to travel to Delhi to see DMRC’s own urban freight trials in progress.