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Glossary · Transport and logistics

What is a tonne-kilometre

Data · Source · INE and CNMC

Definition

The tonne-kilometre is the unit that measures transport work: it is equivalent to moving one tonne of goods over one kilometre. It is obtained by multiplying the tonnes carried by the distance travelled.

Tonnes alone do not distinguish between a journey of ten kilometres and one of a thousand. The tonne-kilometre does, which is why it is the measure used to compare modes of transport and calculate the share of each: road, rail, ship or pipeline.

Dividing tonne-kilometres by tonnes gives the average transport distance. In rail freight that distance is long, because the train is efficient over long hauls and with heavy loads.

The figure · Q2 2026

Tonne-kilometres

2,344.3 million tonne-kilometres

−3.6% year on year

Tonnes carried in the quarter

5.64 million tonnes

−2.2% vs the same quarter of the previous year

Average distance per tonne

416 kilometres

Year-to-date change in 2026

-6.5%

Tonnes so far this year against the same period a year earlier

Rail freight transport in Spain in 2026

The full ranking, the trend and the table are in the indicator Rail freight transport in Spain. To explore the data in detail, see Ferrocarril (Spanish).

Related terms

Empty runningEmpty running is a journey a lorry makes without a load, normally to return to its base or to collect the next consignment.Cost per kilometreThe cost per kilometre is what each kilometre travelled by one of its lorries costs a transport company, adding up all the operating expenses: fuel, driver, depreciation of the vehicle, insurance, tyres, maintenance, tolls and subsistence allowances.Intermodal transport unit (ITU)An ITU, or intermodal transport unit, is each lorry, trailer, semi-trailer or flatbed trailer that boards a ro-ro ship with its load. It is the unit ports use to count lorry traffic.The full glossary40 port and logistics terms, each with its figure.
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