The Government has authorized the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility to bid, through Adif, for two contracts linked to the modernization of the Bobadilla-Algeciras railway line, with a total investment exceeding 72.5 million euros. The actions include, on one hand, improvement works on the infrastructure of the Bobadilla-Ronda section, with an estimated value of 20,264,351 euros, and on the other, the installation of the overhead contact line and its associated systems in the Ronda-Algeciras section, budgeted at 52,285,236 euros.
The first of the contracts, with an execution period of 13 months, includes improvement and renovation actions on the track and infrastructure between kilometer points 20 and 26/500 of the line, as well as the adaptation and replacement of overpasses to ensure that the clearance allows for the installation of the catenary and other elements of the electric traction system. The planned works include improvements to the track to adapt it to future operational needs, improvements to the drainage system with the construction of nine transverse drainage works, and the installation of concrete ditches in areas where they are currently dirt, platform actions in two different points of the track, the installation of ballast guard walls in areas where necessary due to the characteristics of the platform, and the replacement of track materials, including rail, ballast, and ties.
The second contract, of greater economic significance, aims to equip the Ronda-Algeciras section, 106 kilometers long, with electrification using an overhead contact line for a supply of 2×25 kV in alternating current at 50 Hz. The installation of this electric traction system will increase the capacity, safety, and regularity of services on the line, in addition to preparing for future integration into the Mediterranean Corridor.
The contract also includes the necessary actions for the replacement or protection of the services affected by the installation of the electric line in the Ronda-Algeciras section, which includes 57 overhead electric lines, 14 overhead telecommunications lines, and an irrigation ditch. In parallel, Adif has tendered for three million euros for the technical assistance contract for monitoring and supervision of these electrification works.
Both actions are part of the comprehensive modernization plan for the Bobadilla-Algeciras line, which includes the electrification of the entire 176 kilometers of route, the renewal of the track, and the expansion of sidings. Adif has mobilized to date more than 514 million euros in this project. The line is considered strategic because it connects with the Port of Algeciras Bay, the largest in Spain in traffic volume; it will accommodate the circulation of services of the Algeciras-Zaragoza Railway Highway (AF) and constitutes the vertex of the Atlantic and Mediterranean Corridor. With these actions, the aim is to endow the infrastructure with greater reliability and capacity to accommodate more traffic, primarily of goods.
Among the main actions already underway is the renewal of the track between Bobadilla and Ronda, with an investment of 52.8 million euros. Adif is also carrying out consolidation and stabilization works of the slope where the railway platform is located between the municipalities of Almargen (Málaga) and Setenil (Cádiz), as well as the adaptation of clearances in the 21 tunnels of the line to the dimensions required by the semitrailers that will use the Railway Highway service. Both works are being carried out with a joint investment of 66.6 million euros.
In the area of system renewal, the installation of GSM-R mobile telecommunications and automatic blockage— the system that ensures the safety distance between trains— is underway on the Bobadilla-Ronda section, once its deployment is completed between Ronda and Algeciras. Regarding signaling, the implementation of the ASFA digital train protection system is being executed in the Ronda-Algeciras section.
Adif has recently tendered, in addition, the contract for the execution of works and maintenance of the construction project for the traction electrical substation of Marchenilla and the associated autotransformation centers of the Ronda-Algeciras section. Furthermore, it has awarded the drafting of the project for the traction electrical substation of Ronda and its associated autotransformation centers, which will allow electrifying the Bobadilla-Ronda section, contiguous to the previous one.
The modernization of this line contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9, which promotes sustainable, reliable, and quality infrastructure; 8, related to economic development and job creation; and 7, linked to sustainability and energy efficiency. These actions may be co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
