TENDERS are to be called for track and overhead line equipment renewal works on the 17·8 km Borgonyà - Ripoll section of Renfe’s Barcelona - Puigcerdà route, within a budget of €18·3m. Expected to take 22 months to complete, work will include drainage improvements, relaying with long-welded UIC54 rail on concrete gauge-convertible sleepers and the replacement of overhead line equipment originally installed in 1927 for 1·5 kV DC electrification.
This forms part of a €322·6m investment package for the Barcelona - Puigcerdà route unveiled by the Spanish Ministry of Development on July 22. As well as work to remove speed restrictions imposed due to poor track conditions between Vic and Ripoll in particular, capacity is to be increased on the 28 km Montcada - La Garriga section for suburban services operating between L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and Vic as Line C3 of Renfe’s Barcelona network. The package includes €55m for new rolling stock, likely to be the Civia EMU launched earlier this year (RG 5.03 p251).
