High-speed section between Murcia and Almeria

Construction of the platform in the high-speed section between the town of Lorca in Murcia and the town of Pulpí in Almeria (Spain) for €171 million. The contract, which will be carried out in consortium, comprises a 31.3-kilometer segment on the Murcia-Almeria line, which is part of the Mediterranean Corridor.

The project consists of the execution of the double track platform on the High-Speed Line (between the towns of Pulpí (Almería) and Lorca (Murcia) and includes remodeling the Pulpí and Puerto Lumbreras stations, as well as a new station in Almendricos. The work starts in the municipality of Lorca and uses part of the route of the existing Lorca-Aguilas railway line, which has a single Iberian gauge track without electrification; this will be over about 18.6 kilometers, and 20 kilometers of the current track route will have to be dismantled.

Notable among the works to be carried out are the construction of the Rincón tunnel, the execution of 10 viaducts and bridges of different kinds measuring a total length of 1,250 meters, and the creation of another 28 structures. Execution of the works is expected to take 34 months.

About the High-Speed Mediterranean Corridor

The Almeria – Murcia Line, which is part of the High-Speed Mediterranean Corridor, will connect the city of Almería with that Corridor, as well as with the Madrid-Castilla La Mancha-Valencian Community-Region of Murcia High-Speed Line. This will boost Almeria’s railway ties to Murcia, Levante, Catalonia, Castilla la Mancha, and the heart of the peninsula, integrating it into the whole of the European railway networks and reducing travel times. In addition, it will improve commuter services on the Murcia-Aguilas route.

Environmental Measures

Construction for the high-speed train that will link Murcia and Almeria is carried out under the requirements of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda and Adif Alta Velocidad to protect the region’s fauna and flora. Mainly, the existing watercourses along the entire route, such as: the Rambla de Librilla, the Rambla de Algeciras, and the Jauto River.

As for animal life, the DIA includes measures to protect the Greek tortoise, an endangered species that is present along the Sierra Cabrera bypass and at other points along the route.

The development of railways in Spain

Ferrovial Construction has played a key role in developing high-speed rail in Spain by participating in the main corridors. We have, to name a few, the undergrounds works on the new railway access to Murcia and the construction of the platform on the Pulpí-Vera section in the Mediterranean Corridor; the platform on Plasencia’s Río Tiétar-Malpartida section on the Madrid– Extremadura high-speed line; the accesses to the La Sagrera station in Barcelona; the construction of an 80-kilometer section between Chilterns and Warwickshire on the high-speed line in the United Kingdom; and Package 4 of the high-speed line in California (United States).