Spain’s Infrastructure Secretary-General Xavier Flores has presented the 2022 development plans of Adif, Adif Alta Velocidad and Renfe on the Catalan railway network.
The EUR 471 million investment will be essential for the Rodalies commuter train plan and will consist mainly of the integration of the railway in Sant Feliu de Llobregat, the Molins de Rei station remodeling works, as well as for the development of the Mediterranean Corridor covering the Castellbisbal tunnel and the advance of the Sant Andreu-La Sagrera rail system, with actions in the new Sant Andreu Comtal suburban station and the transfer of the conventional Barcelona-Granollers-Portbou corridor (lines R2 and R11) by the inside the future La Sagrera station.
The so-called ‘Transformem Rodalies’ (Tranforming the Catalonia commuter rail system) plan will allow passengers to access and view quickly and easy all the information that may cause a change in their daily mobility. This plan will make use of all communication channels, both internal and external, to ensure that the information reaches citizens.
One of the main actions will focus on the necessary operations to enable the joint commissioning of the new Sant Andreu Comtal station which will provide passengers increased comfort and accessibility. The new station will also provide through a 2 km tunnel the transfer between the conventional Barcelona-Granollers-Portbou line and the interior of the future La Sagrera station. The works at Sant Andreu Comtal and La Sagrera stations have a budget of more than EUR 68 million and will be funded through the NextGenerationEU.
Mediterranean Corridor
The Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA) is committed to better integrate the Catalan railway network with the Mediterranean Corridor by adapting the current tunnel at Castellbisbal on the Martorell-Castellbisbal section to the international gauge. The tunnel is known as the gate to Europe through the Mediterranean Corridor. The objective of this project is to prepare the infrastructure to link the standard gauge section with those already completed to the north between the Nudo de Castellbisbal and the French border, and with those currently underway to the south, between the Nudo de Vilaseca, Sant Vicenç de Calders and Martorell. To carry out the adaptation of the current Castellbisbal tunnel, the old 800-metre Costablanca tunnel will be reopened to traffic once the renovation works have been carried out. This will make it possible to not interrupt the traffic when tunnel works will be carried out and will also be used in the future to increase transport capacity providing an additional track.
Under the plan, works will be also performed on the Martorell-Sant Vicenç de Calders section which include the renovation of the superstructure, the construction of the third rail, the adaptation of the electrification, the extension of the sidings up to 750 m and the construction of new underpasses to eliminate level crossings.
The selected actions will have a budget of EUR 134.2 million.
For the Sant Feliu de Llobregat (a suburb of Barcelona) integration, the Ministry will provide EUR 110.2 million which will reinforce the train service quality. The actions will advance the implementation of the urban integration of the rail system within the city’s area and cover the removal of the existing level crossing at the station as well as the construction of the future underground infrastructure.
Renfe has begun Molins de Rei station remodeling works to provide full access to the services through the installation of four lifts. EUR 6 million is the value of the project which is expected to be completed within 15 months.
The modernisation and development projects will not be carried out at the same time with the maintenance services and until 2023 the operational capacity along the rail sections will be limited, requiring traffic reschedule.
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