Adif Injects €260 Million into Spain’s Rail Freight Network Upgrade

Spain’s railway infrastructure management company, Adif, has committed €262.6 million ($291 million) to a series of projects aimed at enhancing its rail network, with a particular focus on improving freight services in the northwest and central regions of Spain.

The investment package comprises three main initiatives: €119.6 million for the electrification of the Zaragoza-Teruel-Sagunto line, €107 million for adapting the railway gauge on the Madrid-Zaragoza line for its Rolling Highway project, and €36 million for new signalling equipment on the Zaragoza-Huesca-Canfranc line.

Rolling Highway Project

The latest Rolling Highway investment will concentrate on modifying the gauges of 40 overpasses and 26 tunnels between the capital city of Madrid and Zaragoza, enabling the use of semi-trailers on the line.

The works will also include extending sidings at two stations along the route to accommodate the parking and crossing of trains at interoperable lengths, thereby enhancing the capacity and efficiency of the corridor.

Adif’s recent funding round for the highway project has mobilized approximately 60% of the total €468 million investment planned for the high-speed corridor linking Algeciras and Zaragoza.

The state-owned company announced its intention to launch tenders for the remaining gauge adaptation works on the Madrid to Algeciras line later this year. Additionally, Adif is seeking a contractor for the initial phase of adapting an extra section from Zaragoza to Tarragona.

The implementation of the latest Rolling Highway works will be partially funded by the EU through its financing of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan via NextGenerationEU.

Electrification Works

Similar to the adaptation works, the electrification of the Zaragoza-Sagunto route is part of a broader upgrade for the line, with €500 million now invested in Adif’s ‘Master Plan’ for the railway.

The latest project, co-financed by the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility, will see infrastructure on the line adapted for the installation of catenary equipment, encompassing 45 overpasses and 19 tunnels.

Of the 45 overpasses, 31 will undergo complete renovation to accommodate the equipment, seven will receive minor adaptations, and another seven that are no longer in use will be entirely dismantled with the surrounding areas restored.

Alongside boosting capacity and reliability for all services on the line, the comprehensive upgrade of the Zaragoza-Sagunto route is particularly focused on enhancing freight traffic by allowing for a higher axle load and creating new sidings.

Signalling Project

The smallest of the three recently announced investments, the €36 million project on the Zaragoza-Huesca-Canfranc line, will install new signalling and telecommunications equipment on the Ayerbe-Canfranc section.

Adif will deploy new electronic interlocking equipment at stations along the section, as well as blocking systems, track circuits, train protection equipment, LED light signalling, electric drives on the point motors, and modern axle counters.

A GSM-R radio system will also be installed for the line, and the remote control of the electronic interlocks will be integrated into the infrastructure manager’s Centralised Traffic Control.

This project is also partially financed by the EU through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.