THE Spanish cabinet has given its approval for infrastructure manager Adif to tender a contract worth up to €60.46m to install new signalling and telecommunications systems on the 75km La Encina - Alicante section of the Mediterranean Corridor, where a third running rail is being installed to accommodate 1435mm-gauge trains on 1668mm-gauge track.
The contract includes installing ERTMS Level 2 and the national Asfa Digital automatic train protection (ATP) system as a back-up, as well as electronic interlockings, axle-counters and LED signals. The new track layout will be able to accommodate freight trains up to 750m in length.
According to the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, a total of €267m is being spent on the project to provide 1435mm gauge between La Encina and Alicante. This includes €130m to install the third running rail, as well as two separate contracts recently awarded by Adif to supply 146,500 sleepers (worth €23.9m) and ballast (€7.27m).
The Mediterranean Corridor project aims to enable 1435-mm gauge trains to run southwards from Barcelona to Valencia, Alicante, Murcia and eventually Algeciras, through a combination of new construction, gauge conversion, and laying a third running rail on existing infrastructure.
For detailed data on European infrastructure projects, subscribe to IRJ Pro.
