The Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) has launched today, through the publication of the announcement in the Official State Gazette (BOE), the public information process of the “Informative study of the railway connection of the high-speed line Castejón-Pamplona in the vicinity of Castejón de Ebro”.
The objective of the informative study is to analyze and determine the optimal solution for a temporary railway connection, in the environment of Castejón, of the high-speed line Castejón-Comarca of Pamplona (currently in very advanced works of its platform), with the conventional railway line in service Casetas-Bilbao.
The objective that is intended to be achieved with this temporary connection is to be able to carry out the commissioning and valorise the works in progress in the high-speed section Castejón-Pamplona as soon as possible and, in any case, before the commissioning of the new high-speed line Zaragoza - Castejón, currently in the informative study phase.
The connection contemplates a single track route in Iberian width whose beginning is located on the conventional line Casetas-Bilbao in the municipality of Tudela, in the alignment prior to arrival at the station of Castejón, and its end corresponds to the southern foothill of the crossing viaduct on the river Ebro, belonging to the high-speed stretch Castejón-Pamplona.
In the informative study, two tracing alternatives are analyzed in detail, very similar in terms of their scope and functionality. The so-called alternative 0, of 5 km in length, must cross in viaduct the ravine of Valdelafuente, which is part of the Special Conservation Area (ZEC) of the river Ebro and tributaries. Also, in this alternative, the existing Casetas-Bilbao railway line is crossed in viaduct to link next to the high-speed Castejón-Pamplona section.
The alternative 1, 3 km long, has its origin in a point closer to the Castejón station, once it has passed the environment of the ZEC of the River Ebro and tributaries, so it avoids the affection to these spaces of the Natura 2000 Network. Also, in this alternative, part of the current road in service Casetas-Bilbao is rectified, avoiding the crossing of the new connection on the current line and reducing the global land movement of the action.
From the analysis carried out, it is determined that alternative 1 defines a more efficient infrastructure, limiting its scope to what is strictly necessary without affecting protected natural spaces, so it better meets the objectives pursued and, therefore. It is the alternative that is proposed in the informative study.
The informative study also proposes the temporary implementation of the Iberian track width in the Castejón-Comarca stretch of Pamplona (Campanas), in order to provide a continuous itinerary between the width changer of Plasencia de Jalón and Pamplona, in order to obtain the best possible travel times in this situation. The width of the Iberian track in the Castejón-Comarca stretch of Pamplona (Campanas) will be maintained until the new high-speed line Zaragoza - Castejón is finished, at which point it must be migrated to the standard track width according to the solution approved in the original informative study.
Public information and audience of Administrations
The Public Information process that is initiated is for the exclusive purposes of the Railway Sector Law, since the informative study has already been subject to simplified environmental impact assessment in accordance with Law 21/2013, of 9 December, on Environmental Assessment. The resolution of the General Directorate of Quality and Environmental Assessment of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge formulating the corresponding environmental impact report was published in Official State Gazette No. 115 of May 15, 2023.
The public information process is open for a period of 30 working days from the working day following the publication of the announcement in the BOE, and aims to enable interested persons, institutions and administrations to comment on the overall design of the route.
The documentation can be consulted through the Internet, at the following address: