The Council of Ministers has authorized the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility to tender, through Adif, two contracts to improve and renew two sections of the conventional Casetas-Intermodal Abando line. Both contracts add up to an estimated value of almost 40 million euros (without VAT), including supplies.
The works, which consist of the replacement of sleepers and rails, will be undertaken in two sections of the Casetas-Bilbao line to adapt the facilities to the current and future uses of the line. In particular, some 20.85 million euros (without VAT) are allocated to renew the Cortes de Navara-Castejón de Ebro section and 19.11 million euros (without VAT) to the Castejón de Ebro-Fuenmayor section. The work will be done in the so-called maintenance band, so as not to interfere with the railway service.
In addition to the replacement of the materials, it will be necessary to carry out work in the security and communication facilities. The steps will be dismantled and returned to the existing level on the route, in addition to the cleaning of the drainage works and ditches and the execution of muretes guardabalasto in those points where they have been necessary.
This work is part of the infrastructure and road treatment plan of the Northern Zone for the improvement of the Cantabrian-Mediterranean corridor, which aims to modernize the infrastructure, correct the needs detected and favor the conservation of the line in the best conditions of use and exploitation.
Adif has recently mentioned the drafting of the basic and construction projects, which will define the infrastructure and road works for the railway connection in 3 km of this conventional line (Casetas-Bilbao Intermodal Abando) with the high-speed line Castejón-Comarca of Pamplona, currently under construction, in the surroundings of Castejón de Ebro, with the aim of putting into service the high-speed connection as soon as possible while completing the rest of the Cantabrian-Mediterranean Corridor.
All these actions contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), which has among its goals the development of reliable, sustainable, resilient and quality infrastructures.