EU funds high speed rail network studies in northern Spain

Atlantic branch of Priority Project 3 (High speed railway axis of southwest Europe)

Atlantic branch of Priority Project 3 (High speed railway axis of southwest Europe)

Selected under the 2010 TEN-T Annual Call, a study on the implementation of the high speed rail line between the Spanish cities of Vitoria and San Sebastián will receive €2.35 million in EU co-funding. The study, which will contribute to the realisation of Priority Project 3 (“High speed railway axis of southwest Europe”) will specifically look at track bed design and electrification along certain sections of the Vitoria-Bilbao-San Sebastián high speed line.

The design study will affect the Vitoria-Bilbao-San Sebastián high speed line, which has a length of 177 km and is planned to reach a top speed of 250 km/h. The line foresees a double UIC gauge track, which will allow the circulation of both passenger and cargo trains.

The actual study will look at the design of a 17 km section of the line and also assess the electrification requirements for the entire 177 km of railway track. The study is a necessary pre-requisite to conduct works on this section of infrastructure which, once completed, will lead to a decrease in travel times between Madrid and San Sebastián.