SPAIN: The Barcelona Port Authority board has given the go-ahead for the second phase of a project to provide a southern rail access to the port.
Tenders are to be called for a 24-month construction contract budgeted at €31·2m.
There are six elements to the project, which is designed to cater for an increase in rail traffic to be generated by the development of logistics centres in the Llobregat valley between Barcelona and Martorell:
- a single track access to the national network, to the northwest of Can Tunis;
- arrival and departure tracks in Nou Llobregat;
- a track accessing the arrival and departure tracks at Can Tunis;
- installation of train control and communication equipment;
- construction of a substation;
- construction of tracks running north from Nou Llobregat, past the Terminal Catalunya container park and following the Ronda del Port road.
Around 11 route-km of new railway is envisaged, with about 27 km of dual-gauge tracks. These will eventually be used by around 70% of all rail movements within the port area.
Use will be made at each end of the 3 km stretch of the former bed of the River Llobregat, which was diverted further to the south in 1999.
