The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has awarded four contracts for a global amount close to 64 million euros (VAT included), through Adif, for the extension of the section tracks for trains up to 750 m in stations of the conventional lines Barcelona-Madrid, Palencia-Cantabria and in Andalusia, in order to allow the parking and crossing of trains of interoperable length and thus promote the rail transport of goods.
Stations in Guadalajara
The contract for the extension to 750 m of the sideways of the stations of Jadraque and Humanes de Mohernando, both in the province of Guadalajara, has been awarded for an amount of 23.36 million euros.
The contract provides for the execution of the necessary infrastructure, track and electrification actions for the extension of the section tracks in order to accommodate trains of up to 750 meters in these stations. Specifically, the tasks planned are:
- In the Jadraque station, they include the extension of the existing track 3 on the Barcelona side to obtain a useful length of 750 m, the partial modification of the route of track 1 and the elimination of tracks 5 and 7.
- For its part, at the Humanes de Mohernando station it is planned to extend tracks 3 and 4 on the Barcelona side to reach a useful length of 750 m, the elimination of part of track 4 and the modification of track 2.
In addition, in both stations, the execution of a lower crossing between platforms and the elimination of the existing crossing will be carried out, as well as the updating of catenaries to the new track schemes. It is also planned to act in the facilities on the platforms and the passage, such as lighting, the fire protection system and the Closed Circuit system of TV, megaphone and teleindicators.
Province of Zaragoza
The Ministry will carry out this same action in the stations of Paracuellos, Sabiñán, Morés and Épila (province of Zaragoza), on the conventional wide line Madrid-Barcelona, with an investment of 20.73 million euros. The works will be carried out as follows:
In the Paracuellos–Sabiñán station, track 2 will be extended to become a section track with a useful parking length of 750 m.
For its part, in Morés it will be the track 3 that will be extended as a section track for trains of interoperable length. To this end, renovation works will also be carried out on this road, the adaptation of the functional scheme of the station and operations in superstructure, detours, electrification and security and communications facilities.
In this station, a lower passage between platforms will be built to guarantee the movement and transit of all types of travelers, which will be 2.5 m high and 2 m wide and access ramps protected with marquee.
Finally, at the Épila station, it will also be track 3 that will be extended to 750 m in length, adapting the functional scheme of tracks and also acting on elements of superstructure, electrification, signaling and safety facilities and drainage network. The central platform of the station will be expanded to have the same dimensions as the platforms remodeled in Paracuellos - Sabiñán and Morés.
New pavement will also be placed on the platforms of the three stations and the facilities will be equipped with new signage, teleindicators, megaphone, lighting and fire protection equipment.
The extension of all these areas will contribute to the deployment of future Railway Highway (AF) services in the Algeciras-Madrid-Zaragoza route, an initiative that will promote sustainability, intermodality and the increase of freight traffic with Europe.
Cantabria
In addition, the section routes will be extended at the Cantabrian stations of Cobejo and Corrales de Buelna, on the Palencia–Santander line of the conventional railway network, with an investment of more than 13 million euros, to favor the operations and maneuvers of the transit of goods through the railway line with origin or destination to the Port of Santander. The works will be carried out as follows:
- In Corrales de Buelna a new section road will be built 1.5 km north of the current railway station, which has three tracks in use.
- The project also provides for the extension of the current section of the Cobejo station, in the municipality of Molledo, to 750 meters on the north side.
In both cases, the extension requires actions to extend the electrification, as well as adapting the track devices, communications, security facilities and interlocks.
Track devices
Likewise, Transportes has also awarded, through Adif, the contract for the supply of track equipment for the works of extension of section tracks to 750 m in six Andalusian stations: Fernán Núñez, Puente Genil, Montilla and Pedro Abad (Córdoba), Bodadilla and La Roda de Andalucía (in Malaga and Seville, respectively), with a total investment of 6.65 million euros, which will allow the improvement of capacity, efficiency and competitiveness in the conventional network of Andalusia.
The actions for the extension of section routes in these stations were tendered at the end of last year, with a total budget of 64.2 million euros.
Benefits of the extension of apartments up to 750 m
The parking and crossing of trains of up to 750 m allows to improve the capacity, efficiency and competitiveness of the railway, contributing to the reduction of external and internal costs of freight transport.
This strategic action also contributes to the decarbonization and sustainability of transport, diverting goods from the road to the railway, and makes it possible to achieve higher levels of efficiency and resilience.
European funding
All these actions will have European funding through the “Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU”.