The construction works for the railway access to the outer harbour of La Coruña have reached a key milestone with the completion of the excavation of tunnel 3, 685 metres long.
This was the last of the three tunnels still to be completed. Tunnel 2, opened in December 2023 from the port itself; Tunnel 1, 3,739 metres, completed in February of this year; and now Tunnel 3, whose execution has allowed the completion of the “Y” bifurcation of the main tunnel, thanks to the Bifurcation Cavern, 25 metres wide and 11 metres high at its highest point.
Currently, only 135 metres of the emergency gallery of tunnel 1 remain to be excavated. Tunnel 1 is in the lining phase, while tunnel 2, already protected, is used as an internal road to transport surplus materials, which will be used as port fill, promoting the circular economy and reducing the carbon footprint.
The standard section of the tunnels guarantees space for railway gauges, pedestrian footpaths, ducts and modern safety and lighting systems.
The works are fully financed by European Next Generation funds and will be completed in 2026. The connection is expected to be operational in 2027. Although the works will be carried out by Adif and the branch line will form part of the RFIG, it will be owned by the Port Authority of A Coruña.