The Spanish ministry of transport approved a project to create a railway variant that would allow freight trains to and from the port of Bilbao to avoid going through urban centres of the Greater Bilbao region. The project entails the construction of a new 12-kilometres line for a total estimated cost of 484.7 million euros.
The new infrastructure would connect the Serantes Tunnel, already in place but never used, to the existing network in Olabeaga, a neighbourhood in the west of Bilbao. Most of the new line, which will run on the left bank of the Nervión River, will be in tunnels, the ministry specified.
Better rail access to Spanish ports
Spain seems to be quite keen on investing to improve rail connectivity in its ports. Last month alone, new initiatives were unveiled concerning the ports of Barcelona and A Coruña. The former will get a new rail access in the south, an action worth 730 million euros. For the latter, two feasibility studies were recently launched to inquire about a new rail access as well as a new terminal. The need for enhancing port-rail synergies lies in the fact that rail freight volumes in Spanish ports have been on the rise over the past few months.