For many, the Atlantic Corridor is the great unknown of Spanish railway infrastructures, overshadowed by the notoriety of the Mediterranean Corridor.
To shed light on its present and future, we interview José Antonio Sebastián, the Spanish Government’s commissioner for the Atlantic Corridor, who analyses the keys to its development, the gauge strategy and the interoperability challenges.
There is much more talk about the Mediterranean Corridor, and people are more aware of it. To a certain extent, the Atlantic Corridor is like the great unknown. Why is that, and what has happened to make it so?
Well, it’s not that nothing has happened. The only issue is that historically, economic and business movements in the Mediterranean Corridor have been much more committed to this connection because they have a linear conception.
Ultimately, the Mediterranean Corridor is a line that runs along the coast and links major exporting capitals, from citrus fruits to chemicals. It has also had a more important business development.
In contrast, the Atlantic is like a tree: it links diverse territories, such as Galicia, the Basque Country or Andalusia, with less aligned interests and less direct international connections.
That is changing: in previous years, we have tied in annual tender volume and, from 2025, we will see a turnaround. We will tender much more work than the Mediterranean. When both corridors are completed, the Atlantic corridor will have more than doubled the investment because of the number of kilometres and complexity.
What are the major tenders planned for 2025?
For example, in Basque Y, we have invested more than 4 billion euros and still have to complete it. The Burgos-Vitoria section will start to be put out to tender this year and will cost 1.5 billion euros.
There are also the renovations in Galicia, such as the Lugo-Coruña-Ferrol line, the renovation between Pola de Lena and Gijón, the high-speed line between Toledo and Plasencia, the Seville-Huelva line and the high-speed sections in Navarre.
We will exceed 2 billion in annual tenders, even reaching 2.5 billion.
You mention the Seville-Huelva line. Not long ago, it was said that it would not be a high-speed line because it was not worth it, but a variant. What is the situation?
The bypass is part of the overall high-speed project. Just because a line is being studied does not mean it will be built immediately.
The Environmental Impact Assessment has been approved; implementation will depend on available funds and construction projects. The final decision may vary depending on the political and financial context. The high-speed project includes the bypass, but it is not yet known whether it will be built all at once or in phases.
What does the implementation decision with Portugal and France imply?
The implementation decision with Portugal was finalised in March of last year, but the Portuguese government has not yet signed it. In 2018, we already signed one that was not fulfilled, and now in 2025, we will probably sign another that isn’t easy to fulfil. Portugal is launching works, but at a very slow pace and with funding problems.
With France, the situation is even more complicated: its plans place the connections for 2042, when they should be ready in 2030. France is currently the most protectionist country in Europe in terms of railways.
A new corridor regulation was recently approved. What is new, especially in the Atlantic Corridor?
The Atlantic Corridor has been the most modified by the regulations’ reform. It now includes Galicia, Asturias, part of Castilla y León, the Navarre corridor, and the extension to Huelva and Cádiz, among others.
Ports, high-speed lines and conventional lines that were not previously part of it have been incorporated. In addition, the European Union requires countries to present their gauge strategy by 2027, not necessarily an immediate change, but a clear roadmap.
What is the Spanish strategy for track gauge?
There is no closed strategy yet; it is under development. Spain has opted for a high-speed international gauge network for passengers, freeing the Iberian gauge network for freight.
What about exports to Europe? No problem. The Mediterranean Corridor and the Atlantic Corridor are networks that can support freight and passengers on the same track and will have an international gauge for these traffics.
Everything new is built in international gauge and electrified to 25,000 V, complying with European regulations. The changeover is neither cheap nor straightforward, and interoperability depends on gauge, voltage, and signalling.
Solutions such as the variable gauge axle will be minimally used, mainly for rail trains, but they do not replace the need for interoperable infrastructure.
To what extent is gauge a real problem for interoperability?
Width is only part of the problem.
Voltage and signalling systems must also be taken into account. For example, even if we have the same width as Portugal, we cannot operate due to differences in signalling.
How will the Basque Y operate if there is no international gauge between Vitoria and Burgos?
It will be done as in Galicia, with variable gauge trains. Operating this way will be no problem until the whole section is adapted.
How is the collaboration with the autonomous communities, especially the Basque Country, Galicia and Asturias?
In the Basque Country, as it has a foral and quota regime, the Basque government executes part of the infrastructure and then settles with the State. This does not happen in other regions. Galicia and Asturias’ relationship is institutional: the State executes its investments and the communities execute theirs without specific agreements. The logistics competence is autonomous, although the State invests in the large terminals of national interest.
There are demands for reopening the Directo de Burgos and the Ruta de la Plata. What are the real possibilities?
Both require, by obligation of the EU regulation and future obligation of the Sustainable Mobility Law, a technical and economic feasibility study of the infrastructure. This applies whether a new line is to be built or one is to be reopened. For example, Soria-Castejón, Directo de Bustos, Ruta de la Plata…
About Burgos Direct line, removing the tamping machine from the tunnel costs 3 million, fixing the tunnel costs 50 million, and putting the whole infrastructure in order costs 400 million. However, bringing it into line with community regulations costs 1.4 billion. 1.4 billion for how many trains? Somebody should do a demand analysis and say how many trains go there. Industry is still in Valladolid or Palencia, not Burgos.
The government has kept the Silver Route (Ruta de la Plata) in the global network. All the previous studies, environmental impact statements, and construction would take at least 16 years for a typical project without any problems. Taking the Ineco study, which establishes an average of 10 million euros per new kilometre of railway, which would be 240 km of line, we get 2.4 billion euros today. For what potential traffic?
There is no apparent business demand, unlike in the Mediterranean, where there is a clamour from the private sector. The state prioritises where there is real demand and potential for growth.
One of the things we are doing the most is meeting with companies to generate demand.
Finally, what prospects do you see for the Atlantic Corridor?
We will have two tough years because of the work, but from 2027 onwards, we will see double-digit growth in rail freight traffic. It is unacceptable that the average speed of rail freight transport in Spain is 57 kilometres per hour.
Investments in infrastructure, rolling stock and logistics terminals augur a future of sustained growth for the Atlantic Corridor, with faster and longer trains. The key is to generate real demand: social demands are not enough; we need companies to bet on the railway.