The port of Castelló, located between Valencia and Barcelona, will soon have a new southern railway access which will accommodate traffic in both the Iberian and standard gauges. The Spanish Ministry of Transport recently awarded a contract for 11,7 million euros to install the new tracks which will connect the port to the TEN-T Mediterranean Corridor.
The future southern rail access to the port of Castelló will consist of a new 8.3-kilometre single track mixed gauge line reserved exclusively for rail freight traffic. Most of the funds will be invested in the installation of the new track, the construction of a new platform on the first 100 metre of the section and the installation of acoustic protection. The remaining 2,2 million euros will be deployed for the electrification of the line.
Investments for over 330 million euros
In total, the creation of the new southern rail access at the port will cost around 335,5 million euros, according to the Spanish ministry. The initiative has been divided into two sections: one connecting the port to the TEN-T Mediterranean Corridor (123,5 million euros) and one connecting the future intermodal terminal to the port (159,7 million euros). Once ready, the terminal is expected to handle about 40 trains per week, with the ceramic industry being one of the main beneficiaries.
Creating a standard gauge network in eastern Spain
The railway network along the Spanish east coast is quite an important artery for European trade, as it connects some of Spain’s largest ports to France and thus the rest of the continent. The difference between the Iberian and standard gauge has historically been an obstacle to seamless rail freight in the region.
However, Spain has been undertaking significant efforts to create a standard gauge network along this corridor. Currently, only Barcelona is connected to France via a standard gauge railway. However, the infrastructure is being extended southwards to Tarragona and Castelló, where there already is a mixed gauge line to Valencia.
