SPAIN: The Andalucía regional government has awarded a joint venture of Ferrovial and Ucop a €62·8m contract to build the 3·5 km Río Genil - Campus de la Salud section of the Granada light metro. Due to take 30 months to complete, this section runs underground for 30% of its length, including one of its six stations.

Serving a total of 26 stations, Granada's light metro will run for 15·9 km from ?Albolote to Armilla via Maracena and the city centre. Work is already underway on the Albolote - Maracena and Campus de la Salud - Armilla sections, with bids for Maracena - Villarejo and Méndez Núñez - Río Genil now being assessed. The final alignment of the remaining 10% of the route between Villarejo and Méndez Núñez should be determined by the end of 2008.

The route is to be served by a fleet of 13 low-floor vehicles, offering capacity for a total of 13 650 passengers. Within a budget of €21m, bids have been invited by May 20 for the construction of a depot and control centre near Maracena.