SPAIN: As it assumes greater responsibility for the management of suburban services in Barcelona, the Catalunya regional government has signed an agreement with ADIF and the Ministry of Development guaranteeing train paths over the next five years. Targets for network availability, reliability and incident management will be set in a further agreement later this year.
The investment programme for the Valencia suburban network being developed by the ministry is now expected to include extending route C1 from Gandia to Denia. This would involve building a 32 km electrified double-track route and nine new stations.
In Sevilla, creation of the new suburban route to Benacazón (C5) is moving ahead with two upgrade contracts put out to tender by ADIF. Section 1 comprising 7 km of the Sevilla - Huelva route has been set a budget of €29·9m, including the construction of new stations at Camas, Valencina-Santiponce and Salteras. On the 9 km Section 2 a new station would be built at Benacazón and existing facilities upgraded at Villanueva del Ariscal and Sanlúcar la Mayor, within a total budget of €20·1m.
