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Spain’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility announced a EUR 2.5 billion investment for the Atlantic Corridor in Asturias until 2030 to modernise and expand rail, road, and port infrastructure. “The Ministry is giving a strong push to the Atlantic Corridor,” the Secretary of the Ministry, José Antonio Santano, said during a meeting attended by the Atlantic Corridor Commissioner, José Antonio Sebastián. For rail infrastructure on the Atlantic Corridor in Asturias, the ministry will invest EUR 1.95 billion, while EUR 420 million will be used for road infrastructure and EUR 131 million for ports’ development. The Secretary of State highlighted the implementation of the Pajares Bypass, a 50-km high-speed section that crosses the Cantabrian Mountains in less than 15 minutes and reduces travel time from Madrid by more than an hour. The infrastructure has more than doubled the number of passengers. To promote not only the development of infrastructure but also its use for new traffic and services, the Ministry of Transport is working with the Government of Asturias and the companies and economic and social stakeholders in the logistics sector, a work which is coordinated by the Atlantic Corridor Commissioner. “A working dynamic has been established to define and group freight transport demand in Asturias with the aim of promoting rail motorways and studying new maritime connections,” José Antonio Sebastián said. The rail infrastructure on the Atlantic Corridor on Spain territory, spanning 6.044 km, benefits from strong financing of the state. During the first quarter of this year, EUR 1 billion was tendered for railway infrastructure along this corridor. “This is a record figure, considering that last year, which saw historic figures for this corridor, EUR 1.42 billion was tendered,” Santano explained. Among the most important tenders of the first quarter are the works on the first section of the Burgos – Vitoria high-speed line for EUR 439 million, the five projects to build the platform for the Huelva – Seville high-speed line for EUR 39 million, and the EUR 131.4 million tender for the installation of signalling and communications for the high-speed line between Talayuela and Plasencia. The core rail network of the Atlantic Corridor in Spain comprises the route Gijón – Oviedo – La Pola – La Robla (providing connection to León) which benefits from a EUR 1.8 billion in 2018-2030 for which 47 projects are included. Of these projects, 10 have been completed with a EUR 695 million investment, while 14 projects are currently ongoing. Additionally, there are ten projects in the planning stage with a value of EUR 506 million, and another 17 projects are expected to be carried out with an estimated cost of EUR 605 million. EUR 1.5 billion is the estimated value of the development of the route, of which EUR 326 million are expected to be used for track renewal and track expansion, electrification, signalling and telecommunications, as well as the construction of new stations as well as the intermodal station in Oviedo. Between 2018 and 2030, on the Gijón – Oviedo – La Pola section, EUR 1.18 billion is the estimated value of the investment to implement 38 actions. EUR 877 million are to be used for its development and EUR 304 million for tracks, electrification, signalling and telecommunications and stations. The 50 km Pajares bypass, inaugurated in November 2023, which included 12 tunnels and 10 viaducts, involves a EUR 4 billion investment from 2018 to 2030, with a remaining investment of EUR 67 million to be used from 2025 to 2027. This new infrastructure has reduced the distance between La Pola and La Robla by 37 km. Other four cross-cutting actions along the core network of Atlantic Corridor include a EUR 22 million investment for the modernisation of 12 substations (EUR 10.4 million), noise protection on the north section (EUR 6 million), and the renewal of the Centralized Traffic Control (EUR 4.8 million). In summary, for the core network of Spanish Atlantic rail Corridor, from Gijón to La Robla, EUR 569 million investment was carried out in 2018-2024, while EUR 740 million are mobilised for 2025-2030 and EUR 506 million are not currently mobilised. The Villabona – Avilés branch benefits from a EUR 146 million investment for five actions from 2018 until 2030. EUR 142 million is used for its development, and EUR 3.6 million for other projects. On the Avilés – Oviedo section, from the EUR 146 million investment, the amount of EUR 142 million has not yet been mobilised for the implementation of the projects. |
