Key section of Mediterranean Corridor almost ready for operations
Adif has recently carried out reliability tests on a new 45-kilometre section between Xàtiva and La Encina junction in the province of Valencia. The railway will be part of the planned fast connection between Alicante and Valencia as well as a key piece of the Mediterranean Corridor to France and onwards to Central Europe.
During last week’s tests, five journeys in each direction were completed. Preparations for the inauguration of the new section, which came at an investment of 413 million euros, will continue with the training of train drivers.
Once in service, Spanish railway manager Adif will work to prepare the double-track railway for high-speed operations at an investment of 187 million euros. The overarching goal is to connect the three provincial capitals – Alicante, Valencia and Castellón de la Plana – via a faster railway link.
By doing so, Valencia province will become an integral part of the Mediterranean Corridor, an international corridor important for freight transport. In Spain, this also will better connect the southernmost Andalusia region and Murcia, as well as Catalonia in the north. Adif estimates that a functioning corridor will result in an increase of 2.2 per cent in GDP in the current decade. In Valencia, the corridor will extend over 717 kilometres. Four years ago, only 114 kilometres were developed, and 163 were completed. As of the end of last year, 488 kilometres have been developed, and 229 kilometres finished.
This article appeared originally on our sister publication RailTech.com.
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