LAYING OF DOUBLE TRACK IN MURUETA, AMOREBIETA-BERMEO LINE

Area of activity
TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURES

Service
Railways, subway and LRT

Client
ETS – Euskal Trenbide Sarea

Scope

• Detailed design project development

Duration
2019-2020

The purpose of the Construction Project is the definition of the works corresponding to the laying of double tracks in Murueta of the Amorebieta – Bermeo line. Specifically at kilometer point 19+900, between the San Cristóbal and Forua stations of the aforementioned line.

With a length of 186 km in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, one of the main characteristics of the Euskotren railroad lines is that more than 80% of the network has a single track, a fact that considerably limits its transport capacity, both for passengers and freight.

In the case of the Urdaibai branch, which runs between Bermeo and Amorebieta -and also reaches Bilbao-, trains currently run with a frequency of thirty minutes, which increases to one hour in off-peak periods with lower user demand, such as early and late in the day, as well as on weekends. The traffic of units carrying passengers also has to coexist with freight trains arriving and departing from the port infrastructure of Bermeo.

Therefore, the purpose of the present construction project is to put an end to this problem on the branch line that crosses Urdaibai, by defining a double track. It consists of enabling a siding, at the height of Murueta, about 400 m long, at the height of the old halt. This double track will not only allow trains running in opposite directions to cross each other, but will also serve as a temporary parking place for units at certain times when their circulation may hinder the traffic of other trains.

This action would increase the frequency of passenger trains, which currently run every half hour on this branch, as well as speed up the traffic of goods arriving at the port of Bermeo.