The Basque government has approved the agreement reached by the Ministry of Transport with Adif. Councilor Iñaki Arriola expects the work to be completed in 2033.
Last Tuesday, the Basque Government’s Board of Directors approved the agreement between the Ministry of Transport and ADIF Alta Velocity, which regulates high-speed train access to Bilbao. According to Minister Iñaki Arriola’s forecasts, the works will start in 2026 and end in 2033 and have a budget of 226.53 million euros.
The agreement approved today is valid for ten years and can be extended for a further seven years. During this time, a standard width corridor should be built reaching Abando station in the capital of Biscay. To do this, a 6.2 kilometer tunnel will have to be constructed from the Galdakao-Basauri section to the center of Bilbao.
For this purpose, the Basque government has a budget of 226.52 million euros (including VAT): 5.2 million for drawing up the project and 208.02 million for the execution of the works. The budget also includes the replacement of affected services, the costs of environmental integration, health and safety, among other things.
Unlike what is being done at the Gipuzkoa branch, these works will not be financed through the Quota, but will be part of the budgets of Adif Alta Velocity, which will make payments as the works are carried out.
In addition to the works to be carried out by the Basque Government, ADIF will undertake the superstructure (tracks, electrification, security and communications facilities and non-railway security facilities, with an estimated cost of 53.59 million euros), as well as the final approval of the construction project, the supervision and reception of the works.
Source: EITB
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