Today the Council of Ministers has authorized the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility to put out to tender, through Adif, a contract of 42 million euros for the drafting of the construction project and the execution of works to adapt the security facilities of the La section Encina-Alicante (70 km) to the future implementation of the third rail and the new track configuration for trains of up to 750 meters.
According to the Ministry, “this is a strategic operation for the Mediterranean corridor and rail freight transport.”
The action, together with the implementation of standard gauge between La Encina-Bifurcación Xàtiva, in its connection with the Almussafes-València Font de Sant Lluís bypass, “will make it possible for freight trains to have continuity in standard gauge, both in the south direction -connecting with Andalusia and Murcia- and towards the north, with the Valencian Community, Catalonia and the rest of Europe,” explains the Ministry.
According to the Government delegate, Pilar Bernabé, these works represent “the connection of the port of Alicante with the Mediterranean corridor” and are “further proof that, for this Government, the Mediterranean corridor and its connections are unstoppable. All the dreamed infrastructures are underway and this is one more,” she declared. Minister Oscar Puente, who this week plans to attend an event in Alicante, has also highlighted on his social network account X that the action is “key to connecting the Mediterranean corridor with the port of Alicante.”
The one until now known as the La Encina-Alicante “knot” is “finally unknotted,” explained Josep Vicent Boira, Government Commissioner for the development of the Mediterranean corridor. In his opinion, the tender announced today is "transcendental for several reasons, both general and regional and local", because it affects Almería and Murcia, but also Alicante, since it benefits "not only the mobility of goods in wide international, but to people and suburban and medium distance throughout the Vinalopó valley (Villena-Alicante line).
The work includes the deployment of new control, command and signaling equipment for the third rail, which will be installed on the general road sections. The traffic management and signaling systems will be adapted to the new operating configuration of the line. And the train protection systems, axle counters, new LED light signaling will be renewed and the ERTMS system will be implemented.
The modification of the track diagrams includes the installation of electric needle drives suitable for 3-lane turnouts and electric drives will also be installed in the thread changers. Civil works operations, technical buildings, new communication nodes, transformation centers and signaling cables will also be carried out.
Signaling equipment will be installed and expanded to allow the circulation and section of 750 meter freight trains. Action will be taken on the devices that allow circulation to be controlled at five stations: La Encina, Caudete, Novelda-Aspe, Monforte del Cid and San Vicente del Raspeig; and new interlockings will be provided to the Villena, Sax and Elda stations.
On the other hand, the Centralized Traffic Control systems of València La Font de Sant Lluís will be updated to the future track scheme and the signaling and communications equipment throughout the section will be modernized to adapt them to mixed gauge circulation standards on lines. conventional.
