Transportation awards for 26,5 million euros the works to adapt 13 tunnels of Ciudad Real, Jaén and Córdoba to the Services of Rolling Highway (Autopista Ferroviaria - AF).

• The contract includes the adaptation of conventional train line tunnels between Santa Cruz de Mudela and Córdoba to the Gálibos required for the passage of semi -trailer transport.
• Eleven of the tunnels are located in the province of Jaén, one in Ciudad Real and another in Córdoba.
• The implementation of AF Algeciras-Zaragoza, with a global investment of 500 million euros, will be decisive to boost rail transport transport and reinforce intermodality.

04-2025

The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has awarded for 26.55 million euros (VAT included) a contract to adapt to the necessary gálibo in 13 tunnels of the section between Santa Cruz de Mudela (Ciudad Real), Jaén and Córdoba, of the Alcázar line of San Juan-Cádiz, for the future services of the AF between Algeciras and Zaragoza. Impulse to railway transport of merchandise.

The 13 tunnels have a total length that exceeds 3,5 km, being Andújar (Jaén) the longest, with 1,024 m. As for its location, one is located in the province of Ciudad Real (sale of Cárdenas 1); eleven in the province of Jaén (sale of Cárdenas 2, 3 and 4; Las Correderas 1, 2 and 3; in addition to those located in Santa Elena, Calancha, Vilches, Cushy and Andújar); and one in Montoro (Córdoba).

Specifically, through ADIF, performances in the infrastructure will be addressed, by expanding tunnels and platform recessing section; and in the superstructure, with the renewal of naughty, lanes and ballast, as well as drains and electrification works.

Investement Plan for AF Algeciras-Madrid-Zaragoza

The Ministry of Transportation and Sustainable Mobility works in an ambitious investment plan for the implementation of AF services throughout the Algeciras-Madrid-Zaragoza itinerary, adapting numerous structures to the dimensions required by the semi-trailers, among other improvements.

This plan is equipped with more than 500 million euros and will be decisive to boost, through ADIF, the increase in the rail transport quota, both in the central branch of the Mediterranean and Atlantic corridor. In addition, it will reinforce intermodality in the Iberian Peninsula with the traffic between Europe and Morocco.

With regard to the adaptation of the railway gálibo between Algeciras and Zaragoza (from the port of the Algeciras Bay to the Zaragoza Plaza terminal), it will act on 182 structures, of which 43 are tunnels, 131 higher steps and 8 metal bridges.

In the Madrid-Zaragoza section, the works to expand the 26 tunnels and 40 upper steps located in the Santa María de Huerta-Zaragoza and San Fernando de Henares-Santa María de Huerta, through various infrastructure operations, such as the extension of the section of the tunnels and platform revergiers. In addition, the tracks (naughty, lane and ballast) will be renewed and will act in drains and electrification.

As for the Algeciras-Madrid section, in addition to this award of the adaptation of the 13 tunnels located between Córdoba and Santa Cruz de Mudela, the adequacy of 15 other tunnels of the Bobadilla-Algeciras line has already been tendered, as well as 46 higher steps located in the Bobadilla-Bifurcation lines Córdoba Merchandise and Alcázar de San Juan-Cádiz.

In addition, also through ADIF works, the extension of section roads will be carried out to 750 m in stations to reinforce the efficiency and competitiveness of the itinerary.

Thus, to the apartments of the Madrid-Zaragoza journey, those of the Andalusian stations of Pedro Abad, Fernán Núñez, Montilla and Puente Genil (Córdoba), La Roda de Andalucía (Sevilla) and Bobadilla (Málaga), all of them in tender. On the other hand, those of Campillos (Málaga) and Setenil (Cádiz) are in execution.

Bet to boost railway transport of goods

All these works involve a firm commitment of the Ministry to promote railway transport of merchandise.

For the Algeciras-Zaragoza itinerary there will be 2 daily circulations per direction in the initial phase, which will be extended to 3 daily trains in the direction a year after the start of the service with trucks with origin/destination Morocco; to which 2 daily trains (one per sense) are added from Huelva to Zaragoza, with trucks with the Canary Islands and destination and Huelva's environment; 4 daily trains (2 per direction) between Seville and Zaragoza, with trucks with origin/destination Puerto de Sevilla and the rest of Andalusia; and 2 newspapers between Cádiz and Zaragoza (one per sense).

In this way, approximately 12,000 km-are will be carried out daily and 360 trucks will be transported on this itinerary, avoiding 360,000 km of road truck circulation a day.

2 Itineraries in service and 23 in process

The AF is a merchandise transport service that carries road trailers or semi -trailers, using specialized cars. The initiative offers a competitive and collaborative logistics solution with important savings, both external costs and GHG emissions (greenhouse gases). The road emissions with respect to the railroad are 4.7 times higher (annual savings: 620,000 T CO2).

Currently, ADIF has two AF itineraries in service: Valencia-Madrid (in Iberian width) and Barcelona-Le Perthus (in standard width). It also works on 23 itineraries, 20 in Iberian width and 3 in standard width, after receiving, through its Support and Advice Office (OAA) of the Aoff, the interest of logistics operators, port authorities and railway companies.

The deployment of the AAFF is framed in the set of actions that the Ministry has in progress (development of strategic logistics nodes, ferro -transport connection, etc.) to increase the transport of goods by railroad in Spain, with the aim of advancing in a more sustainable, competitive, multimodal and safe mobility.

European financing

The implementation of the AF between Madrid and Zaragoza may be co -financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).

source:Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible.