The Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, today visited the works of modernization and expansion of the Gaintxurizketa tunnel, a key action to connect the Basque Country with France by high speed, to boost freight traffic by train and for the development of the Atlantic Corridor.

The 558-metre tunnel is part of the conventional Astigarra-Irun railway section, in which Adif is investing about 53 million euros (including VAT) to implement the standard width by incorporating the third lane, which will allow continuity to the Vitoria/Gasteiz-Bilbao-Donostia/San Sebastian to the French border. It also prepares the infrastructure for rail motorway services.

The minister, who has been accompanied by the Secretary of State, Jose Antonio Santano, and the president of Adif, Pedro Marco, has supervised the progress of the work in the tunnel, which currently focuses on waterproofing and coating its interior, and which are compatible with railway circulation.

In the coming weeks, the execution of the false tunnels in the entrance and exit bottles will begin and the new electrification system will be deployed that will enter service once the track is concreted in final plate, which is scheduled for this coming summer.

Work to expand the infrastructure section was completed in March 2024. The excavation of the tunnel, fundamental to be able to install the third lane, has been carried out with an TES machine (Tunneling Enlargement System), adapted to the geotechnical circumstances and contouring conditions of this one.

Source: Gobierno de Espaa - Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible (Government of Spain - Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility).