The railway infrastructure manager (Adif) has announced this Tuesday the progress of work in the Mediterranean corridor in Castellbisbal (Vallès Occidental, Barcelona). This point of railway geography is strategic for the development of this infrastructure, claimed for decades by the social, economic and political fabric of the entire State. The manager of the tracks, catenaries and electrical system has explained that it will face a new phase of the standard gauge implementation works around the station in this municipality, which will force completely discontinue train service between this population and Martorell during three days.
The actions will force completely cut off circulation between Castellbisbal and Martorell, on the lines R4 and R8 of Rodalies, between 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, and 5:00 a.m. on Monday, March 13. To minimize the effects, Renfe has established a alternative road transport service.
The “gate to Europe”
Known as the “door to europe“Because of its link with the Mediterranean corridor and the future connection to the north, the tasks that have been carried out at this point in recent months have consisted of the rehabilitation of a sewer system transverse, the mounting about 650 meters of the new track 2 suitable for mixed gauge and other operations for the installation of new catenarysuch as the placement of 31 new porticoes and the laying of the new contact threadhave explained in a statement from Adif.
The railway section that is now being completed will link, in standard widththe infrastructure between Castellbisbal knot and the French border with the routes between the Vila-seca knotSant Vicenç de Calders and Martorell, which are under construction.
Changes in the season
After these three days of interruption, the same sources have explained, it will be possible to face a significant change in the railway operation of the stationenabling the new track 2 to be the way of passagewhich will allow the entire southern head of the station (Llobregat river side) to be released to continue with the planned works of adaptation of facilities in this ambit.
Related news
The next phase of this action will continue until August, when the north end of the Martorell station is expected to come into service, with the installation of five new mixed diversionsthe southern head of Castellbisbal (where the tracks will already have their final configuration and lengths) and the commissioning of track 1 of the Castellbisbal tunnel.
In addition, in parallel, work is being done on the execution of the new pass under the AP-7 motorway and inside the Castellbisbal tunnel.