Adif - Abrimos caminos

EUROPEAN UNION

During the period 2007-2013 there will be co-financing: 

(Information at 31 december 2011)

The Line is approximately 184.3 km long, of which 108.1 are in the province of Almeria and the remaining 76.2 in the Autonomous Region of Murcia.

The design features of this line allow trains to travel at a speed of 300 kph, with the possibility of mixed traffic use.

The line’s design considers making use of the railway corridor of the current Murcia-Lorca-Águilas line up to approximately the town of Pulpí, thus minimising impact on the territory. The works will consist in adding another line, adaptation for high performance and a multi-purpose section where geometrical characteristics do not allow for high speed. The most important multi-purpose sections are those of Librilla, Totana and Sierra Cabrera.

From Pulpí the line separates towards Vera, bordering the Sierra de Almagro from the east until it connects with the N-340 corridor, which continues until it reaches the city of Almería.

Special works stand out, such as the Cadímar viaduct (Vera-Los Gallardos subsection) with a length of 1,965 metres, and the Sorbas tunnels (Sorbas subsection - Barranco de los Gafarillos), 7,538 metres long, which will be the longest in Andalusia, longer than the Abdalajis tunnels, in the Córdoba-Málaga High Speed Line. They have a high technical complexity for they cross a large mountain range with gypsiferous materials. 

It will be perforated with a tunnel boring machine and conventional methods. The “Alcazaba” tunnel boring machine completed the boring of the first tube on 15 March 2011 and, after being dismantled and reassembled, also completed the boring of the second tube on 18 January 2012, after six months of work, with an average performance of over 1,000 metres a month.

In order to introduce high speed line into Almería, the railway line is going to be integrated in the urban environment.  Likewise, railway facilities will be adapted to meet future high speed needs, and at the same time ground adjacent to the line not necessary for rail exploitation will be recovered for urban use.

Finally, a large urban boulevard with green areas will be built along the current railway corridor, improving the environmental conditions of the urban area near the railway line.

All actions will be compatible with railway access to the Port of Almería.

The railway and urban solution has been included in the Protocol for Rail Integration in Almería, signed by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the Junta de Andalucía, the Almería City Council and Adif, signed on 20 June 2008. Likewise, on 17 June 2009, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the Public Works Department of the Junta de Andalucía and the City Council of Almería agreed to establish a Partnership for the integration of the railway in Almería, following the model used in the rest of the country for access of High Speed Lines to the cities.

Adif and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport support sustainable and environmentally respectful development, respecting protected natural spaces during the design, construction and operation of rail infrastructure.

Adif complies with the requirements of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), ensuring that all construction and infrastructure work is successfully integrated into the surrounding area and that all applicable environmental measures are implemented as effectively as possible.

The works of the high speed train that will connect Murcia and Almería will have to protect the existing rambla de Librilla, rambla de Algeciras and the Jauto river.

On the other hand, the DIA has specific actions to protect ecological values of Areas of Community Interest (ACI) such as “Sierra del Alto Almagro”, “Río Antas”, “Sierra de Cabrera-Bédar” and “Ramblas del Percal, Tabernas y Sur de la sierra de Alhamilla”

Among other projects, there will be environmental restoration of dry riverbeds, ravines and land affected by erosion within the ACIs.

The environmental viability of the Cabrera mountain range is possible due to the construction of the Sorbas tunnel which stretches under the Sierra Cabrera-Bédar ACI, with a length of 7.5 km.

With regards to fauna, the DIA includes measures to protect the Greek Tortoise, an endangered species that is present throughout the Sierra Cabrera variant and in other points of the section.

For this purpose a detailed study will be carried out, together with the Junta de Andalucía, to determine the distribution of the Greek Tortoise, the specific location of its routes and suggest the necessary protection, correction or compensatory measures.

The PIACs provide up-to-date details on the status of construction and installation work, offering personalised information on specific aspects of different projects and responding to inquiries about construction processes, travel disruption and other relevant aspects. The PIACs also process requests for specific information and customer complaints.

The PIACs offer a range of audiovisual resources and leaflets covering the main features of High-Speed Lines, environmental projects, major infrastructures and the benefits of development work.

PIAC of Murcia