EU co-financing to help convert the Port of Barcelona’s rail network to UIC gauge

The European Union will provide support of €1 million from the TEN-T Programme for a project to adapt the internal rail network of the Port of Barcelona in Spain to UIC gauge. On completion, the Port will be able to attract more rail operators and its internal operations will be greatly improved.

The project, which was selected for funding under the 2011 TEN-T Annual Call, involves the construction and adaptation of railway tracks in UIC gauge from the current Iberian gauge. It consists mainly of three activities:

• Connection of the Prat container terminal to the internal railway network of the Port of Barcelona, including the adaptation to UIC gauge the already existing tracks
• Adaptation of the “Contrabucle” rail section to UIC gauge
• Adaptation of the railway terminal in Moll de l’Energia to UIC gauge.

Adaptation to UIC gauge will be done via the insertion of a third rail track between the two existing ones (UIC gauge is narrower than the Iberian one).

Once finalised, the project will allow the Port to improve its internal rail operations (better reliability and less time) and to contribute to the modal shift from road to rail (and thus lowering the environmental impact of the Port itself). It will also allow seamless rail convoy traffic in UIC gauge between the various wharves and ensure the Port is directly connected, via rail, to France.

The project will be managed by the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency and is set to be completed by June 2013.

For more information: http://tentea.ec.europa.eu/en/ten-t_projects/ten-t_projects_by_country/spain/2011-es-93137-p.htm or e-mail: [email protected]