The Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) has definitively approved the “Informative study of the high-speed line Nogales de Pisuerga – Reinosa”, as well as its public information record and audience, through a resolution of the General Secretariat of Infrastructures, as announced today by the BOE.
With this new milestone, continuity is given to the study already approved between Palencia and Nogales de Pisuerga for the high-speed railway connection to Cantabria, with a new stretch of approximately 43 km in length and for whose construction works it is planned to allocate 799.7 million euros (VAT included).
This informative study has aimed at the design and analysis of different route alternatives for the creation of a new high-speed railway section in the access to Cantabria between Nogales de Pisuerga (Palencia) and Reinosa (Cantabria), independent of the existing conventional line and exclusive for travelers, as well as the selection of the most suitable alternative.
In view of the conclusions of both the informative study and the environmental impact study, after analyzing the allegations and reports received during the public information phase and hearing of administrations and taking into account the environmental impact statement, it has been decided to approve the following combination of alternatives in the three geographical areas in which the study has been divided:
Alternative This in scope 1: Nogales de Pisuerga-Mataporquera
This alternative includes a succession of tunnels and viaducts and its trace is located to the west of the A-67 motorway, to move away from the natural area of Las Devoluces. Along this route, there are a total of three crossings with the existing railway line, four with motorways, the A-67 and the A-73, and six crossings with the national roads N-627 and N-611.
This section includes the access bypass to the Aguilar station that is proposed as a single track connected to the new high-speed line in both directions. The extension of the platform associated with this action entails the elimination of two steps at the level and also includes the refurbishment of the current Aguilar station to include the new track in standard width and the adaptation of tracks and platforms.
The main conditions in this area are the presence of the Special Conservation Area “Las Devoluces”, as well as the proximity of several urban centers, the presence of the Pisuerga River and its tributary, the Camesa River, with a large preferential flow area, the existence of mining concessions and road infrastructures, both existing and planned.
Alternative This in scope 2: Mataporquera
This area includes the central section of the study. In this environment, the aim is to guarantee the least possible affection to the existing population centers, to the Special Conservation Area “Río Camesa” and to the mining operations established in the Mataporquera area.
In order to avoid any affection to the mining exploitation existing in the environment of Mataporquera and the Special Conservation Area of the Camesa River, this alternative crosses the A-67 motorway, staying away from the population of Quintanillas de Hormiguera. In short, there are three crossings with the N-611, two with the A-67 motorway and two with the existing railway line.
Alternative West in Area 3: Mataporquera-Reinosa.
This area begins in the vicinity of the Pozazal apeadero and ends once the connection with the conventional line has been made before the crossing with the Hijar River, at the entrance of the town of Reinosa, where the installation of a width changer is planned.
The West alternative runs mostly along the west of the A-67 motorway, adjusting to the corridor of this one. With the route proposed by this alternative, there are in total two crossings with the N-611 road and two with the A-67 motorway.
In this environment, geological and hydrogeological conditions have been decisive in the design and evaluation of the proposed alternatives, adapting as much as possible the layout in plan and raising the level to minimize the condition to the existing aquifers and to the lands with high geological risk.
Background
On September 22, 2020, the announcement of the General Subdirectorate of Railway Planning was published in the BOE, which presented to the public information and audience the "Informative study of the high-speed line Nogales de Pisuerga-Reinosa".
The environmental assessment procedure began in August 2021 with the submission of the public information dossier and hearing of administrations to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, as an environmental body within the environmental assessment procedure.
By Resolution of September 26, 2022, of the General Directorate of Quality and Environmental Assessment, the environmental impact statement of the “Informative study of the high-speed line Nogales de Pisuerga-Reinosa” was formulated.
However, with the definitive approval of the Informative Study by Mitma and published today in the BOE, the optimization process has not yet been completed and should be further deepened during the elaboration of the constructive projects in a better insertion of the action in the environment.
The complete documentation of the informative study is available in the Mitma's website.