Funding for the project is partly financed by the EU. Credit: Adif

Spain’s national rail infrastructure management company Adif has begun a €210m ($228m) renovation project on the Zafra-Huelva line in the southwest of the country. 

The 180km conventional gauge line is undergoing a track and ballast renovation, including the installation of 60km of new rail and concrete sleepers, new track switches, improved drainage, and protection from excavations and embankments. 

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The project includes the structural reinforcement of five bridges in the province of Huelva, including the installation of new waterproofed concrete reinforcement decks and foundation reinforcements for four of the bridges. 

The railway line currently passes through several unstable areas with 14 sections featuring speed limits for trains passing through, leading to notable delays and lower reliability for services on the line. 

Renovation of the line is being carried out in five sections, with the largest section being a 41km line between Calañas and Peguerillas which will see new sidings at two stations and the replacement of wooden sleepers with concrete alternatives alongside a complete track renovation. 

Funding for the project is partly backed by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU programme, which is also financing the deployment of the GSM-R telecommunications system along the Zafra-Huelva Mercancías and Zafra-Llanos de la Granja lines. 

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The system will improve safety and reliability on the line by allowing direct voice communication between trains on the track and the Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) centre. 

Installation of the technology is being carried out alongside the implementation of a Automatic Block Signalling on Single Track system, including the replacement of mechanical interlocks with modern electronic alternatives. 

Work on the project continues Adif’s renovation of Spain’s railway network and follows other projects to conserve metal rail bridges across the country and a $2.4bn investment from the Spanish government into projects in Asturias supporting the Atlantic Corridor.