The arrival of high-speed rail (see ITRANSPORTE 69) requires the adaptation of the passenger buildings in the four main stations of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura: Plasencia, Cáceres, Mérida and Badajoz, to the needs of the new railway service. Ineco, in addition to directing the work on the four stations and working on the track renovation, has drafted the remodelling projects for Adif Alta Velocidad, the Spanish railway infrastructure administrator, which include the buildings, entrances and the surrounding area, as well as the platforms, shelters and underpasses.

All of the works follow general guidelines with the common objectives of improving the sustainability and accessibility of the facilities. Outside, the main works consist of the creation of plazas in front of each station, in which the pedestrian is given centre stage. On the façades, the installation or renovation of shelters will highlight the entrance doors. The aim is to improve the integration of the stations into the urban fabric.

In the interior, the general concept is to gain more natural light, for which suspended ceilings are eliminated, increasing the height in the halls and opening up the spaces. The use of sustainable materials, improved air-conditioning efficiency and the installation of LED lighting are all part of the project. Furthermore, all of the spaces are totally accessible, and include technologies such as Wi-Fi, electric vehicle charging areas and personalised information points.

In order to carry out these works, it has been necessary to make the service compatible with the works, which is why personnel have been moved to provisional modules so that they can continue to provide service, and the works have been carefully designed to guarantee passenger comfort at all times.

Badajoz station

A new urban space

It was opened in 1866 and initially had a façade topped by a pediment with a skylight, decorative elements widely used at the time. These were later replaced by a rectangular screen façade with 24 openings and a shelter. The housing for railway personnel that began to be built around the station became what is today the neighbourhood of San Fernando. The station has two platforms.

The works reorganise the exterior space, where pedestrian traffic predominates, while inside the passenger building the spaces are being completely remodelled. A large plaza will be created in front of the building as a space for relaxation and enjoyment, integrating it into the neighbourhood, respecting the symmetrical composition and enhancing the building as a scenic backdrop for Avenida Carolina Coronado. On the main façade, the openings in the lower band are strengthened by metal frames in the form of lanterns and there is a lattice of metal slats above. These match existing slats in the central body of the entrance and their orientation changes, giving movement to the arrangement.

A new shelter will be installed outside to cover the entrance. The interior remodelling is centred on the central body, which houses the hall and main entrances, and the eastern body, which contains various auxiliary facilities. A double height hall is created with an open and naturally lit waiting area, enhancing the central character of the space. The underpass and platforms are also being remodelled.

Cáceres station

A renovation that respects the ‘skin’ of the building

The existing station dates from 1963 and replaced the original one, inaugurated by King Alfonso XII in 1881, which was demolished. The new building was designed longitudinally, with a symmetrical façade formed by a central body and two lateral bodies with towers at both ends. The main entrance is protected by a large semi-circular shelter. Inside, the waiting room is decorated with a ceramic mural by the artist José Luis Sánchez, dedicated to the conquest of America, and the platform façade has a stained glass window with railway motifs (tracks, turnouts and signals).

The station has two platforms with three operational tracks for passengers and an underpass equipped with lifts.

The work includes urban operations to ‘create the city’ and works on the passenger building that highlight the value of this architectural piece. The conversion of the public space in front of the passenger building into a large square connects the station to the rest of the urban fabric. The arrangement opens the passenger building up to the city, making it part of the architectural scene of Cáceres. Pedestrians, cyclists and public transport (taxis and buses) will converge in this new urban space.

The integration of the passenger building is achieved renovating the building’s ‘skin’, while respecting its dimensions and construction. It is made up of a lightweight set of horizontal aluminium slats, which will shape the structural bays of the building, giving movement to the façade and breaking up the flatness of the existing building. A new car parking area will be created, which will be detached from the façade of the passenger building, giving the complex space and clean lines.

In the interior spaces intended for travellers (hall, toilets and underpass), the finishes will be renovated and the sunlight and ventilation conditions will be improved. All this is accompanied by new facilities that improve the energy efficiency and comfort of the station.

In the platform area, the shelter will be renovated with new waterproofing, and the underpass between platforms will be resurfaced and given new flooring, as well as new glass railings combined with stainless steel.

Plasencia station

Opening up spaces while preserving the building’s identity

The station was opened in 1893, as part of the ‘Ruta de la Plata’ line to Astorga, which is now closed. The passenger building, in a simple and sober style, has a central body of two floors with three linteled openings each, and two side annexes. The roof is a gabled tile roof with the original support structure from 1893, which has been preserved with energy improvements in the insulation. It is located outside the town centre, south of the Jerte River. It has two platforms (one is a service platform), with three tracks and several more that are no longer in use, a freight dock (which will house the cafeteria space) and a building formerly used for railway residences.

The project is mainly focused on development, entrances and buildings. A new station square will be created, with road access and parking adjacent to the station buildings, separate from the development area and façades of the buildings. The cargo building attached to the station, which will house the future cafeteria, will be refurbished, creating a transition space between it and the passenger building, which will be marked with a new shelter, as well as the taxi stand and the main entrance to the station.

In the passenger building, all of the interior spaces are being renovated by extending the hall to the current cafeteria area (which is being moved to the renovated building); new restrooms are being built, and a double height main space is being created by demolishing the first floor, which gives a greater sense of space and light. The works include structural reinforcement, remodelling of the installations and improvement of the building roofs, conserving the support structures of the roofs (riveted wood and steel), to preserve the buildings’ original character. During the construction phase, materials that have added value due to their special historical characteristics, will be reused, such as part of the original tiles, which will be restored and reused for the roofs. In the interior, the furniture and lamps are being updated with more modern designs.

Mérida station

Restoring harmony

This is the largest station in the Extremadura network in terms of size and passenger traffic, and several lines converge here. It was opened in 1864 and is very close to the historic centre of the city. As with the previous buildings, the passenger building is arranged with a central body with two floors plus side buildings. It has more than 10 tracks and a cargo area.

In the solution designed for the Mérida station, special attention has been given to harmonising the spaces that make up the complex in order to recover the spatial quality that has been lost over time. In terms of development, a new well-defined access plaza space will be created while respecting the retaining wall structures. This will create a homogeneous space in which the pedestrian area is differentiated from the roadway, creating transition spaces that frame the large backdrop of the passenger building’s façade. This same idea was adopted inside, with the hall as an articulating element and a new corporate style. This hall has been designed as a dominant space, incorporating passenger services and the commercial area. The edges of the existing platforms will be adapted to allow passenger access to the new trains. The underpass will also be completely renovated.

The stations of Extremadura, yesterday and today

The four original stations were opened between 1864 and 1893, and from an architectural point of view they have the characteristics of the period: simple lines and a functional design typical of 19th century industrial buildings. The regulations at that time established general guidelines for the different existing railway companies to maintain a certain aesthetic continuity in their facilities. It was recommended that stations located in rural areas be simple constructions that fit in with the surroundings, with decorative elements reserved for urban stations. All of them share a common feature: the passenger building as the main construction, plus other annexed facilities, which include locomotive and wagon depots, workshops, warehouses, docks, scales or watering (water supply to steam locomotives), such as the one at Cáceres station. There used to be a house for the Station Manager and sometimes also for the railway staff, as in Mérida and Plasencia, and in some cases these gave rise to entire neighbourhoods, such as San Fernando in Badajoz.

As for the passenger buildings, these are symmetrical constructions, with one or two floors, with the main façade in a central body that is higher and more prominent than the rest, with annexes on both sides, and gabled roofs, as in the case of the Merida station. The walls were usually made of stone, painted white or light colours, and the door and window openings, corners and ledges were framed in ochre, brown or blue-grey.

Works in Plasencia. The works include the restoration and reuse of some original materials, such as wood, rivets and part of the roof tiles. In the picture, the station’s shaded walkway.

Ineco’s technicians and engineers are working on projects, construction management and the provision of technical assistance for Adif and Adif Alta Velocidad, together with construction companies and other companies in the sector, for the modernisation of the conventional lines currently in operation and for the construction of the Madrid-Extremadura high-speed line, designed for passenger traffic with a maximum speed of 300 km/h and freight traffic up to 100 km/h.

The work is intense. In addition to having designed the Plasencia-Cáceres section, the company has been contracted for the management of platform works, track assembly, electrification, substations, removal of level crossings, noise protection, regulation of the effects on roads of the Regional Government of Extremadura, infrastructure conditioning, etc., all of which is essential for the trains to begin running on the new infrastructure. The doubling of the track between Cáceres and Mérida, the control, command and signalling installations, telecommunications, the electrification of the line and the remodelling of four stations on this route are the latest works in which Ineco is currently involved.

Most significant figures for the new infrastructure.

A route along the ancient Roman Silver Route

The Plasencia-Badajoz section, with a total length of 144.5 km, is the main axis of Phase 1 of the commissioning of the line. It has been designed with a platform for standard-gauge double track and mixed traffic, except for the Mérida-Badajoz section, which will be put into service with a single track. It passes through a large part of the province of Cáceres, on a route that in the section from Plasencia to Mérida runs parallel to the A-66 highway, the Ruta de la Plata, a modern testimony to a section of the ancient Roman road that crossed Extremadura from north to south.

The Tajo and Almonte viaducts, the latter having received several awards as the world’s longest arch-railway bridge, and the Santa Marina tunnel are the most notable individual works in this section. Experts from Ineco directed the work on this tunnel and are managing the works on the Plasencia, Cáceres, Mérida and Badajoz stations, for which they designed the remodelling projects.

Construction works: platform and track installation

The platform has been completed except for the sections of the Mérida bypass that are not included in Phase 1. In regard to track installation, the Mérida-Badajoz section has been completed, along with the installation of track 1 of the Cáceres-Mérida section, both in single track. The installation of the Plasencia-Cáceres section is more than 90% complete, and construction of  Track 2 of the Cáceres-Mérida section began in February 2020.

Track assembly work on the section between Plasencia and Cáceres in October 2019.

The technical construction challenges

The implementation of electric welding and the new method for rail unloading

Track installation involved the application of techniques that are rarely used in Spain, such as electric welding right on the track using mobile equipment, a procedure used with the high-speed line to Toledo and on the high-speed line between Makkah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia. This system produces higher quality, more durable welds than those produced by aluminothermic welding, aiming to achieve the goal of ‘zero maintenance’. The work is completely automated and if executed sequentially with stress neutralisation, both activities can be optimised.

In addition to the rail supplied by rail trains in 270-metre bars, rail in 108-metre bars was supplied on conventional platforms consisting of two sextets, which required the development of a new unloading procedure to optimise work performance.

The systematisation of the electric welding procedure with mobile equipment presented a major challenge. After supervising the execution of more than 1,400 welds and the subsequent performance analysis, the information gathered by Ineco made it possible to compare the technical work procedures associated with this activity with existing procedures. This experience could potentially lead to an improvement in projects and technical reference documents, in line with the company’s Strategic Plan ATENEA 2019-2022.

Unique infrastructures

Santa Marina, the longest tunnel on the line

The line between Plasencia and Badajoz has two tunnels totalling 4.4 kilometres in length, with 3.4 kilometres corresponding to the Santa Marina tunnel, in addition to its 1.5 kilometres of evacuation galleries. Located halfway between Plasencia and Cáceres, this tunnel crosses the Sierra de Santa Marina and is designed for high-speed double track and mixed traffic.

The Santa Marina tunnel crosses the regional Alentejo-Plasencia fault, one of the largest on the Iberian Peninsula. Ineco managed the construction of the 3.4 km tunnel that passes through the Los Castaños pass.

The tunnel was built using the New Austrian Method, has a waterproofing system that uses PVC membranes and a concrete lining. The waterproofing was done using an unconventional system, with sections of reinjectable double PVC membrane, to provide it with a high degree of watertightness to allow the recovery of the aquifer in the mountain range.

22 viaducts totalling over nine kilometres

The line has a total of 22 viaducts totalling more than nine kilometres. The most important viaducts are the ones crossing the Tajo and Almonte rivers in the section between Plasencia and Cáceres. The Almonte viaduct holds the world record for arch bridges and the Tajo viaduct is a close second in terms of span, with both representing outstanding feats of engineering.

The Almonte viaduct, awarded the prestigious Gustav Lindenthal Medal, crosses the reservoir using a long concrete arch with an upper deck and a main span 384 m long, making it the world’s longest high-speed concrete arch bridge.

In addition to the Almonte and Tajo River viaducts, the Vadetravieso viaduct, 1,596 metres long and crossing the river with the same name, is also worthy of note.

Designed by Spanish engineer Juan José Arenas and built by the Spanish-Portuguese consortium FCC Construcción-Conduril, this structure respects the habitat of the Alcántara reservoir, following the measures indicated in the EIS with maximum respect for the surroundings and the environment, including corrective measures to restore the environment and landscape and to facilitate the crossing of the infrastructure by the fauna. The viaduct also included the installation of innovative bird screens, which reduce wind thrusts on the structure, causing the birds to ascend in flight to avoid colliding with the trains.

Wildlife and ornithology reports

The richness of the natural habitat of the region of Extremadura, its pastureland and natural parks –including the Monfragüe, Cornalvo, and Los Barruecos natural parks– are areas of exceptional beauty and refuge for a multitude of birds and other species. From white storks to protected black storks, golden eagles, griffon vultures, kestrels, grey herons, spoonbills, and bustards, 74.1% of the territory of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura has been declared an Important Bird Area.

Ineco prepared monthly reports on the barrier effect on wildlife crossings and the effect on bird life in sensitive areas such as the Llanos de Cáceres y Sierra de Fuentes and the embalse de Alcántara special bird protections areas

The works pass through areas with different degrees of protection: A Special Bird Protection Area (SPA), a Site of Community Interest (SCI) –also known today as a Special Conservation Area (SCA)–, a Habitat of Community Interest and an IBA (Important Birds Area). Studies and preventive and corrective measures for the environmental impact were therefore required, which meant biological stops, population control reports, monitoring of the barrier effect, monitoring of lek mating areas, control of seeded crop areas, etc. Ridges were also built to protect wildlife, which uncovered an archaeological site with a building covering more than 500 square metres, an environment that was studied, catalogued and protected.

Electrification comes to Extremadura

Ineco is leading these works in the Plasencia-Badajoz-Portuguese
Border section, the first electrified section in this region, with the process to be continued in the future to connect to Madrid.

The excavation work, installation of rebar and pouring of foundations for the posts, gantries and overhead line anchors represented a milestone in the history of the Extremadura railway.

Extremadura was the only region in Spain without a single kilometre of electrified track; not for metro, tram, or conventional rail, let alone high speed. Work is currently progressing on the electrification of the Plasencia-Badajoz-Portuguese Border section, both on the overhead contact line and its associated systems and on the traction substations and transformer substations.

The overhead line catenary, designed by Ineco engineers, is an interoperable C-350 type overhead catenary system, suitable for running at 350 km/h, according to the regulations and specifically, the TSI for the energy subsystem and the UNE EN-50119 standard, which means that electric trains can run from Extremadura to Europe.

These works are being carried out on the 125-kilometre stretch between Plasencia and the Peñas Blancas split, approximately 15 kilometres north of Mérida. Approximately 4,200 catenary posts will be erected in this section, covering some 105 kilometres of double track and 20 kilometres of single track, with two railway stations: Plasencia and Cáceres.

The catenary works were divided into four areas, covering a total of 125 km of track

In addition, in regard to the conventional network that complements the high-speed network, work will be carried out on the Monfragüe-Plasencia line (between the Plasencia junction and Plasencia station), Madrid-Valencia de Alcántara (between the junction with the high-speed line section and Cáceres station) and on the Aljucén-Cáceres line (junction with the high-speed platform of the Cáceres-Aldea del Cano section and Cáceres station), as well as the southern branch of Cáceres. This project also includes the electrification of stations, sidings (PAET) and block stations (BP).

In the Plasencia station, tracks 1, 2 and 3 will be electrified, and in Cáceres station, tracks 1, 2, 5 and 7. The block stations will be electrified at the Terzuelo split and at KM 46/308, as well as at the Aldea del Cano PAET. Work and maintenance of the electric traction substations and auto-transformer substations on the Plasencia-Badajoz section is also underway. This work includes the energy installations required for the 2×25 kV electrification of the Plasencia-Badajoz section, which are mainly the Cañaveral (Cáceres), Carmonita and Sagrajas electricity substations (both in the province of Badajoz). In addition to these substations, there are a total of 12 associated auto-transformer substations.

Meanwhile, Adif has already started the bidding process for the electrification of the section between Mérida (Peñas Blancas) and Badajoz, which requires technical approval once it has passed the environmental procedures.

From phone blocks to Full Supervision

The renovation of the railway installations in the Plasencia-Cáceres and Mérida-Badajoz sections is combined with the implementation of the national network’s most efficient and advanced protection and traffic control systems on the new infrastructure in the Plasencia-Badajoz section. Ineco is providing the experience that it has acquired on high-speed lines in Spain to provide technical assistance for the traffic control installations.

The ultimate goal of the work on the control, command and signalling installations, for which Ineco is providing technical assistance to Adif Alta Velocidad, is to outfit the Plasencia- Badajoz-Portuguese Border section with the ERTMS Level 2 train protection system, which will make it possible to travel at the maximum commercial operating speed of 300 km/h in the region for the first time.

Previously, Extremadura had a single unelectrified track that still included routes with telephone blocking and mechanical interlocking, which is why the modernisation of the installations to adapt them to the new standards required on high-speed lines (unifying them with the new platform sections), poses a more than obvious challenge and constitutes the greatest technological leap forward undertaken in the railway sector at a national level.

To guarantee this, an intermediate phase of renovation of the installations has been designed that will allow the Plasencia-Badajoz section to be put into operation under the protection of the digital ASFA system at a maximum speed of 200 km/h. This initial phase will result in a significant increase in safety, capacity and regularity of operation, since it will have double track along practically the entire route, eliminating telephone blocks and centralising control and management of the line at the Seville control centre.

The signalling installations are based on interlockings, together with their intermediate blocks, which allow the safe movement of the trains through the application of SIL 4 systems. The solution designed for the railway network on the Plasencia-Badajoz section has electronic interlockings based on Alstom’s Smartlock technology, with BAB and BLAU automatic block systems. In order to facilitate future maintenance, the interlockings are being upgraded. Some of the interlockings are electrical or even mechanical, as in the case of the Cañaveral or Aldea del Cano installations, which are still operated with a telephone block and will be replaced by a BAU type block. This equipment consists of six electronic interlockings located in Plasencia, Cañaveral RC, Cáceres, Mérida, Guadiana and Badajoz, supported by train detection systems installed in the field (Bombardier EBITRACK 400 coded audio frequency track circuits and Frauscher axle counters), Modular LED trackside signals from ICF, ASFA digital balises from Indra and Siemens MD2000 single-phase electric point machines to replace turnouts and derailers still equipped with manual switch stands, and Thales three-phase point machines for turnouts on the new platform.

The overpasses and tunnel entrances are equipped with Logytel Falling Object Detectors (FODs), which trigger trackside signals in the event of an alarm

Unlike other lines, the energy system designed in this project includes a main supply from the electricity company at all locations, using the overhead line as a backup system. This solution, combined with the inclusion of medium voltage networks as an alternative supply in certain sections, makes it possible to minimise the number of emergency power generator sets to be installed. This all results in a more stable, efficient and clean power supply, reaffirming the railway’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

These unique features, together with the particularly rich and protected environment, add to the complexity of Ineco’s work, which ranges from the drafting of the basic projects, environmental and expropriation documentation, inspection and testing of systems in the field, to the final supervision of the process of powering the installations, not to mention providing advice on the legalisation and contracting of the supplies.

Ineco is participating in the drafting of the basic projects, environmental documentation, expropriations, field tests, legal advice and final supervision

As a final complement, the deployment of the Bombardier ERTMS Level 2 system is planned for the installations of the new line between Plasencia, Cáceres and San Nicolás split, as well as on the line between Mérida and Badajoz. This train protection system is managed through two RBCs located in Cáceres and Badajoz, which are in constant communication with the electronic interlockings supported by the GSM-R mobile communications network, and grant movement authorisations to the trains on the lines that they protect.

The Santa Justa control centre in Seville will provide support for the centralised control and efficient operation of these installations. The Thales CTC will unify the remote control of the interlockings of lines L026 (Plasencia-Cáceres-San Nicolás split), L500 (Monfragüe-Casar de Cáceres triangle) and L520 (Villanueva de la Serena-Badajoz), which was previously distributed between the Chamartín and Manzanares CTCs. A new Bombardier ERTMS central control station will be responsible for controlling this train protection system, and a new Indra remote control for auxiliary detection systems will provide operators with all the necessary information regarding the falling-object detectors.

Videographic of the Badajoz station.

Correction: On page 14 of the print edition, the reference regarding the “province of Extremadura” should be “province of Cáceres”.

Modernisation of conventional lines

In parallel with the construction of the new line, Adif is also renovating its conventional lines, replacing material in some sections and refurbishing level crossings. The aim is to improve the track superstructure, unifying conditions to adapt them to the rail traffic demands. The work involves the improvement of the reliability, safety and quality of the track, reducing the level of incidents, increasing traffic speed and reducing travel times. In future editions of Ineco’s magazine, experts will describe the different conventional-track works being carried out, such as the completed works on the Aljucén-El Carrascalejo section, or the projects in the Monfragüe-Plasencia section that will soon be opened for tenders. Planned works include the renovation of the track superstructure, construction of walls, ballast retaining walls and service walkways, and platform drainage improvements.

New fixed and mobile installations

Work is currently underway on the Plasencia-Cáceres section. The civil works and laying of the optical fibre in the fixed telecommunications installations have been completed, as well as the civil works and installation of the mobile communications equipment between Cáceres and Badajoz. Other projects to be carried out after the commissioning of Phase 1 include:

• Renovation of the track between the Monfragüe and Plasencia stations.
• Doubling of the track between Mérida and Aljucén.
• Renovation of the track yard and accesses to the stations of Cáceres, Mérida, Aljucén and Badajoz.
• Connection of the Montijo station to the HSL.
• Reconfiguration of the splits at La Isla (Mérida) and San Nicolás (Badajoz).
• Remodelling and sustainable integration of the Navalmoral de la Mata station.
• Signalling and telecommunications installations on the doubling of the track in the Cáceres-Mérida section, final location of the Mérida bypass and renovation of the track yards at the stations.
• Logistics platforms in Mérida and Navalmoral de la Mata.

With its 30-year contract to manage six airports in the Northeast Region of Brazil, Aena Internacional has strengthened its leadership in the world and is helping to build new air bridges in a strategic sector vital to the development of the country’s tourism and economy, while at the same time strengthening relations between Spain and Brazil.

Ineco, which provided technical support to Aena Internacional during the entire concession process, will continue to collaborate on both the Operational Readiness and Transfer and subsequent stages, thus strengthening its long history as a technical consultant in Brazil, a country in which the company is carrying out other projects such as supervision of new trains for the São Paulo Commuter network, which is also covered in an article in this issue.

Also in the international sphere, our railway specialisation has taken us to different continents, as reported in the article about the Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) carried out for the improvement of the Panama City Metro and safety studies conducted for the Makkah-Madinah high-speed line in Saudi Arabia.

In Spain, the works on the high-speed line to Galicia also involve building bridges – both figuratively, because of the crucial importance of improving connections with the Region of Galicia, and literally, because of the construction of the large viaducts and other special works that are required, including the ones described in a report in this issue on a section that presents enormous technical complexity.

We also dedicate space to innovation with the RONIN road safety tool and the implementation of a pilot project using the ground-breaking integration of BIM and GIS technology in Spain’s road sector.

Ineco’s commitment to building bridges between training and the exercise of the engineering profession, supporting the development and attraction of talent, has led us to organise, together with the Spanish Institute of Engineering, the first edition of the Awards for Excellence in Engineering Student Internships. These awards are based on performance during a series of theoretical and practical courses that will enhance the training of future engineers and enable them to contribute to increasing the prestige of Spanish engineering.

Similarly, and as part of our unequivocal commitment to the 2030 Agenda, we will be building charitable bridges with volunteer projects that we carry out in our CSR section, in which we highlight three projects already underway in India, South Sudan and Haiti.

We dedicate the cover of this issue to the arrival of high speed to Granada with a full report in which we wanted to give a voice to the Ineco technicians who worked with Adif Alta Velocidad on the execution of the final 114-kilometre section. In so doing, we not only celebrate the fact that the historic city of Granada now enjoys connections similar to those of other large cities such as Barcelona and Madrid, but also highlight the technical knowledge and expertise of our professionals in the execution of this kind of infrastructure; ingenuity and talent serving society. This new line is undoubtedly another step in the firm commitment to structuring and uniting the country socially, culturally and geographically, representing another breakthrough in Spanish engineering, and all framed by  the comprehensive vision of our transport model, part of the Ministry of Public Works’ Safe, Sustainable and Connected Mobility strategy.

On the subject of railways, this issue features a report on the work that Ineco has been carrying out for more than 15 years to guarantee the quality and supply of railway materials used for track assembly.

In the field of airports, the conducting of studies and projects under the premise of efficient, sustainable and safe work, in the case of the projects recently carried out for Aeronáutica Civil de Colombia, has a special attraction: the satisfaction of participating in the development of airports located in remote regions with enormous agricultural, commercial and tourist potential. On this same subject, we are particularly pleased to hear the comments of the CEO of Aerocivil, engineer Juan Carlos Salazar.

We celebrate the arrival of high-speed rail to Granada, a new milestone in Spanish engineering’s commitment to structuring and uniting the country socially, culturally and geographically

This issue also highlights Ineco’s participation in the design and development of four projects aimed at effectively and sustainably improving mobility, two in the international arena –the construction of Line 12 of the Mexico City Metro and the new Paseo del Bajo road corridor, which crosses Buenos Aires from north to south– and two in Spain –ENAIRE’s new terminal area control centre (TACC) in Valencia and the San José de Valderas commuter rail station in Madrid–.

In the space dedicated to corporate social responsibility, we highight Ineco’s initiatives to promote equality. Moving towards real gender equality involves commitment and concrete actions. In this regard, we want to showcase and share with you the ‘IN’ Women’s’ Programme that we recently launched

The purpose of the control of track material supply is two-fold: on the one hand, to ensure that the quality of the material provided meets the initial specifications, and, on the other hand, to make sure that, through control and management of materials, work deadlines are met. Interestingly, in high-speed track assembly works, the actual laying of the track accounts for approximately 20% of the budget, while materials account for 80% (20% ballast, 20% sleepers, 20% rail and 20% track S&C devices). Technical assistance work therefore focuses on two aspects: supply management and quality control, for which factory or quarry production requires supervision and verification, with regular testing upon receipt in accordance with the regulations in force.

The creation of Spain’s high-speed network began more than 30 years ago, and today it boasts more than 3,100 kilometres in service and numerous stretches under construction. Between 1988 and 1990, Ineco began to draft preliminary studies for the Madrid-Barcelona line and the first construction projects started to appear in 1994 and 1995. The Spanish railway infrastructure manager at that time, GIF, commissioned Tifsa –a company linked to Ineco since 1999 and with which it merged in 2010– to undertake the technological definition of the superstructure elements, a contract that, for Moisés Gilaberte, Ineco’s Rail Business director, “was a significant milestone because of its size and importance. Since then, the company has provided support to the government in monitoring the production, planning and logistical deployment of supplies to works and quality control of all materials installed on high-speed lines, making us a European benchmark in track technology”.

From the execution of track assembly work on the 481-kilometre section between Madrid, Zaragoza and Lleida, which opened in 2003, until today, Adif Alta Velocidad, with Ineco’s support, has accumulated extensive experience in the organisation and control of the supply of track materials used on high-speed lines. Spanish industry has successfully adapted to high quality requirements and extremely demanding production and supply deadlines to the extent that it is currently capable of meeting the construction needs of the entire Spanish high-speed network and, in many cases, exports its output, as was the case with some of the material used on the Makkah-Madinah high-speed line in Saudi Arabia.  In Spain, some of the latest track material quality control work has been carried out on high-speed sections such as Venta de Baños-Burgos, León-Variante de Pajares-Pola de Lena, Zamora-Pedralba-Ourense, Plasencia-Badajoz, Monforte del Cid-Murcia, Antequera-Granada and Atocha-Torrejón de Velasco.

From visual inspection, measurement and weighing, to laboratory comparative testing, control of assembly operations and commissioning, the functions of Ineco’s technical assistance include verifying compliance of materials with supply specifications and regulations, monitoring for defects in manufacture, and subsequent transportation, storage and use in works. For this, batches are identified by date of manufacture and company to ensure clear traceability, and samples are taken to validate each batch based on measurements and comparative testing, thus ensuring the quality of the material to be incorporated into the works.

A dossier is opened for each material where information (measurements, comparative testing results, etc.) is recorded and this is submitted to Adif as necessary documentation to commission a line. In the case of track devices, all assembly operations are also controlled, generating a acceptance protocol for each device, documentation that is also essential to commission a line. Ineco’s experts also provide advice on track materials during the design, assembly and operating phases.

Track consists of ballast, sleepers, rail and track devices. All of these elements make up what is referred to as the high-speed track superstructure, and are located on top of the subgrade.

Over the last 15 years of collaboration between INECO’S and Adif’s technicians, more than 1,100 track devices and approximately 700 expansion devices have been checked

Ballast stone and its meticulous inspection 

Ballast is used from the beginning of construction of the railway as a support for the tracks, dampening and distributing the loads transmitted by train traffic, ensuring the stability of the track, enabling the rainwater drainage and facilitating levelling and alignment operations. Ballast is extracted from silica-based rock, preferably of igneous or metamorphic origin. Its granulometry is falls almost entirely into the coarse gravel classification, with most of its broken stone elements measuring between 31.5 and 50 mm.

The required characteristics of ballast are mainly related to shape and hardness in order to obtain good permeability, but with a high degree of compactness and numerous sharp edges on the particles that make it up. The goal is for it to behave like an elastic, but extremely stable, bed. For this, the aim is to achieve the greatest number of contacts between stones, which, together with the high degree of hardness required for the material, means that during installation and operation, breakage and wearing of the material are minimised, and consequently, the geometry of the track superstructure is maintained for as long as possible, thus reducing maintenance operations.

Spain has 45 approved quarries for the manufacture of type-1 ballast, which is the type used most commonly across the railway network. Control of this material begins in the quarry itself and includes a weekly sampling plan depending on production. As a general rule, a complete ballast test will be carried out every 6,000 t of new material. Ineco, in collaboration with a laboratory accredited by ENAC for carrying out ballast tests, analyses the results of a complete test including analysis of grain size, fine particle content, fine content, shape coefficient, minimum thickness of granular elements, particle length, Los Angeles abrasion test and ballast homogeneity. Lastly, ballast tests are carried out during supply to the works to ensure quality and the ballast that is actually supplied is monitored using weighing scales installed for that purpose.

Sleeper dimensions and placement

A sleeper is defined as a transversal component of the track that controls track width and transmits loads from the rail to the ballast. For the construction of high-speed tracks, prestressed concrete monoblock sleepers are used, with pre or post-stressed reinforcement used to precompress the concrete. The type most widely used in high speed, AI-VE, is 2,600 mm long and the minimum mass without anchors is 300 kg.

Quality control work includes acceptance in the factories where the sleepers are produced. In summary, acceptance consists of checking external appearance and traceability, geometric verifications affecting track width, geometric verifications of critical dimensions and principal dimensions and mechanical tests, as well as verification of external laboratory tests required by the technical specification. Once on site, it is important to schedule the supply according to the work plan to avoid unnecessary delays and surpluses.

Rail quality and welding

Once the sleepers are arranged on the ballast bed, the rails are then unloaded from a rail-transport car equipped with a gantry crane.

The rail, as a fundamental element of the track, must have a series of characteristics that allow it to withstand a complex set of forces: its profile, length and metallurgical composition must conform to the requirements established for the track. The rail installed on the tracks of Spanish high-speed lines is profile 60 E1 and grade R260, in accordance with European regulations and Adif’s technical specifications.

Generally, on Spanish tracks, rails are assembled in long welded bars (288 and 270 m), a length that varies depending on the length of the primary bars (36, 72 and 90 m) that make it up in order to reduce the number of welds, which are delicate to perform correctly and generally give worse geometric and mechanical characteristics than the rails, constituting points of disturbance to the rolling of trains which need to be monitored in the maintenance phase. Spanish high speed currently uses 108-m primary bars, which are later electrically welded using a mobile plant. The aim is to maximise the length of the primary rail, making an electric weld using automatic equipment, with no filler metal and minimal human intervention, so that the resulting product resembles a continuously-rolled bar as closely as possible both in terms of composition and defect-free geometry.

The quality control carried out by Ineco on the rails involves, on the one hand, validation at the rail factory (primary bar) and then in the electric welding workshop (welded long bar). For this, geometry and external and internal rail and electric welding checks are carried out, as well as comparative tests in the external laboratory on both elements.

Prior to supplying the rail, the condition of the storage slab, its levelling and the equipment for unloading and installing the rail (gantries and hoists) are checked with the manufacturer and supplier. Once the rail has been deposited on the slab, its arrangement is inspected and a random check of the geometry is carried out using verification templates. Ineco is also in charge of the traceability of the rails supplied to each high-speed line, which is essential for identifying the future physical location of bars produced by the same rolling, which, over time, can lead to the appearance of defects not detected by the usual verifications.

Spanish industry has been able to adapt to high quality requirements and extremely demanding production and supply deadlines in order to meet the construction needs of the entire Spanish high-speed network and, in many cases, exports its production overseas

Control of track devices 

Track devices are essential elements for the operation of the railway because they allow trains to pass from one track to another by means of turnouts, and they absorb movements that are generated in hyperstatic viaducts caused by various factors (temperature expansion, braking effects, rheostatic effects, etc.), the so-called expansion devices, which make thermal contraction and expansion movements compatible with the track superstructure installed on top of them. In Spain, there are four companies that manufacture track devices (two in Asturias and two in the Basque Country), and they provide almost the entire national supply and a significant part of the international supply (Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, etc.).

Controls and checks are continuous given that the turnouts used on high-speed lines allow speeds of up to 350 km/h on direct track and 80, 100, 160 or 220 km/h over points, depending on the model, meaning that safety must be guaranteed at all times. The controls on these devices begin by verifying compliance with the main parameters during pre-assembly in the workshop, a task that is formalised with the signing of an acceptance protocol. In addition, supply deliveries and deadlines have to be checked and, once at the track assembly base, the same parameters are reviewed before the device is incorporated into the track.

Track devices may be incorporated while the primary levelling of the track is being done. From there, a topographical survey is carried out during ballast laying and stabilisation phases until the final level is reached. Once the topographical parameters have been verified, an approval report is drawn up. Subsequently, the track device is checked again to ensure that all of its components are in perfect condition and working order, lastly checking compliance with the parameters guaranteeing operation with complete safety. At this point, a works acceptance protocol is issued and this becomes part of the documentation submitted prior to the commissioning of the line.

As for expansion devices, in addition to the work described above, viaduct joints must be measured regularly for different temperature ranges. Based on these measurements, together with the temperature at which they were taken, a progression line is obtained and this makes it possible to determine whether the planned expansion device is suitable, or whether another model needs to be used in its place to ensure the required safety and operating conditions. The extensive experience of Ineco’s staff makes it possible for them to continuously collaborate with track device manufacturers in order to facilitate the evolution of the models, improve performance and reduce costs without affecting in the least the required safety standards. Over the last 15 years of collaboration between Ineco and Adif’s technicians, more than 1,100 track devices and approximately 700 expansion devices have been verified.

Its extensive experience in the planning of high-speed lines, gained over the course of many years of constructing the Spanish network, led Adif, an Ineco shareholder, and the Indian state-owned enterprise High Speed Rail Corporation of India Ltd (HSRC) to sign a collaboration agreement in 2016. Adif and Indian Railways (IR), the parent company of HSRC, began collaborating in 2012 after the signing of a tripartite memorandum of understanding between Adif, Renfe and IR, establishing a framework for collaboration between the three companies in areas of technological development. This process of cooperation has led to recognition of Adif and other companies in the Spanish rail sector by one of the world’s major markets: India. The country has 64,460 kilometres of railway lines, on which more than 18,000 trains and 20 million people travel on a daily basis, an enormous and complex network that the government proposes to renew by modernising its infrastructure and improving travel times and safety.

In April 2015, India’s Ministry of Railways asked the Spanish Ministry of the Economy and Competitiveness to carry out a feasibility study for a high-speed line between Mumbai and Nagpur, the first phase of the Mumbai-Kolkata corridor. The study was entrusted to Ineco and Adif, with up to 80 people involved over a period of 24 months, and with the goal of providing HSRC with sufficiently detailed technical, economic and environmental data and criteria to enable it to make decisions with respect to the development of high speed in the country.

The section between Mumbai and Nagpur, running through Maharashtra (India’s second most populous state with more than 100 million inhabitants), will complete one of the routes of the so-called ‘Diamond Quadrilateral’, a project to connect India’s four great metropolises –Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi– through a network of 11,000 kilometres of high-performance railway lines.

The project carried out by Ineco and Adif included the initial step of analysing 10 alternative routes at a scale of 1:50,000 and preparing a study of the demand and of the existing transport network to enable selection of the best three routes to be studied in greater detail. These three alternative routes were then defined and analysed, including estimates of operating speed and travel times for each one. The result of this analysis, presented to and validated by HSRC, was the selection of ‘Alternative 2’ as the optimum HSR route to be developed in the feasibility study to be executed through the cities of Mumbai BKC, Thane, Nasik, Aurangabad, Akola, Badnera/Amravati and Nagpur. Lastly, the study and technical definition of this alternative was carried out with the participation of experts in the design of high speed projects, construction, station building, signalling and communications, and specialists in track integration and deployment of gauge-changeover facilities.

In summary, the study included demand studies; prior analysis of the different routing alternatives; an operational plan with calculation of travel times and traffic grids for different scenarios; a rolling stock proposal; analysis and selection of railway technology to be implemented (gauge, track superstructure, electrification, safety and communications facilities, etc.); necessary special works; redevelopment and relocation of the population from affected areas; environmental analysis; rail operation and maintenance; cost estimates; and, finally, an economic/financial analysis that will be used to determine the viability of the new high-speed line, as well as a financing proposal for the project.

To carry out the study of medium and long-term traffic demand, the mobility needs and socio-economic characteristics of the populations along the entire corridor were analysed in conjunction with local development plans and United Nations population growth projections. In addition, a temporary demand scenario was developed for several years ahead, determined by the development of the infrastructure in phases: 2025 (Thane-Nasik), 2030 (Thane-Nasik-Aurangabad), 2035 (Thane-Nasik-Aurangabad-Akola-Badnera/Amravati-Nagpur) and finally 2050 with arrival in Kolkata.

Technical definition of the corridor

The section consists of double-track line exclusively for passenger traffic and five new stations (Nasik, Aurangabad, Akola, Amravati/Badnera and Nagpur), with connection at the Thane station of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai project being developed by Indian Railways. The infrastructure is designed in accordance with European standards including tunnels, viaducts and special infrastructures. The entire track runs on ballast except in stations and tunnels longer than 1.5 kilometres, where slab track is used. Functionally, the line is standard-gauge double track designed with sidings every 40-60 kilometres and intermediate crossovers every 20-30 kilometres, which provides maximum operating flexibility.

Cuts more than 30 metres high will require the construction of tunnels, eight in total, one of which will be a twin-tube tunnel 7 kilometres long excavated with a tunnel boring machine. Embankments of more than 15 metres will require special works such as bridges or viaducts and it is anticipated that a total of 526 structures will need to be constructed to negotiate obstacles such as rivers, railway lines and roads.

As for the five proposed stations, four standard models have been designed to optimise the size of the buildings and tailor them to actual passenger volumes. Maintenance workbases have been located every 150 kilometres and as much as possible close to towns and cities to facilitate the movement of personnel; the main rolling stock depot will be in Nasik, with a second auxiliary depot located on the outskirts of Thane (Mumbai). The project includes a preliminary proposal for the installation of 12 traction substations (every 60-70 km) and the necessary connections to the existing power supply network.

The feasibility study includes an economic/financial analysis that reflects the project’s operational feasibility, cost effectiveness and balance. It also takes into account suitable management and governance frameworks for the implementation of HSR in India, financial assessment and risk analysis.

My first several weeks as president of Ineco have given me a first-hand look at the excellent work of a team that stands above the rest. A team with a long history –this year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the company– but above all, with enormous talent to continue designing the future.

Our condition as a public engineering firm drives us to continue contributing actively to the development of Spain’s infrastructure, and area where we will continue to focus a large part of our technical potential through the professionals who form part of Ineco, exporting the broad knowledge acquired in Spain to other parts of the world.

In this sense, within Spain, we continue to work with our shareholders on a very wide variety of projects throughout our country. This issue of ITRANSPORTE covers several examples, including the complex project to resolve the Bergara Junction in the ‘Basque Y’ and the comprehensive modernization of the railway line between Palencia and Santander.

The team of professionals who form part of the Ineco has enormous talent to continue designing the future

In parallel, Ineco’s participation in large-scale engineering projects around the world, such as the Makkah-Madinah high-speed line, which at the close of this issue is already a reality that is underway, or the recommendations for the design of a new model of railway management in Malaysia, continue to highlight Ineco’s position as a leader outside of our borders.

It is also important to emphasize our contribution in the development of new projects aimed at implementing efficiency, safety and digitization in transport systems. The designing of equipment that recovers and returns the surplus energy generated by train braking to the grid, wildlife control plans at airports, and the implementation of the Digital Transformation Plan 2018-2020, are clear examples of this.

This is a key project and the most complex one that Adif Alta Velocidad faces in the entire ‘Basque Y’ network, with Ineco carrying out the construction projects in collaboration with Basque railway company ETS. The result is a set of optimised projects in which the layout design of this network of railway tunnels was finally resolved with the decision to divide it into three sectors instead of the initial four.

UDALAITZ TUNNEL. Part of the geomechanical profile of the Udalaitz Tunnel (Sector 2).

The Ministry of Public Works plans to complete this high-speed line, which connects the centre and southeast of the Iberian Peninsula via Madrid to the Basque Country and France, in 2023. Last July, the contract was awarded for the last of the three stretches that make up the Bergara junction, which covers 21.2 kilometres and is dominated by tunnels and viaducts where the three branches that link the cities of Vitoria, Bilbao and San Sebastián meet. In total, 14.8 kilometres of single-track and 3.6 kilometres of double-track tunnel have been designed. The tunnels will be excavated using conventional methods with four points of attack.

The Bergara Junction, with construction projects prepared by Ineco, is the most complex project that Adif Alta Velocidad must undertake in the entire ‘Basque Y’ network

All of the sectors have been designed for mixed traffic, with a maximum speed of 220 km/h and minimum speed of 90 km/h. To allow the tunnels to operate, each one has been designed with an independent drainage system for the collection of hazardous substances and contaminants. The project also includes all of the necessary safety measures, including 22 evacuation galleries between tunnels, as well as walls, drains, environmental integration, areas for ancillary facilities, repositioning of rights of way and affected services, inert waste dump and any other actions necessary for execution. After the works have been completed, the land will be restored to its original state.

‘BASQUE Y’ HIGH SPEED. Platform construction project. / PLAN_INECO

The project is co-financed by the Connect Europe Facility (CEF) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The drafting of the projects involved optimisation of previous construction projects:

• Shorter timescales.
• Improved tunnel design in complex geological areas.
• Improved instrumentation measurements for the monitoring of works.
• Landfill management.
• Adaptation of designs to environmental protection requirements.
• Tightened budgets.

CRUCIAL CONNECTION FOR THE ‘BASQUE Y’

The Bergara interchanges connects the three ‘arms’ of the ‘Basque Y’, with 50% running through tunnels, 10% on viaducts, and the remaining 20% above ground.

MAP_BASQUE GOVERMENT

The viaduct and the European mink

The Kortazar viaduct, located in sector 3, consists of a continuous beam deck made from pre-stressed concrete and embedded into two V-shaped piles that act as fixed points. The project is the result of a study of several configurations that needed to take into account the impact of the central piles on both the N-636 road below and the habitat of a colony of European mink. In the image, the longitudinal cross-section of the Kortazar viaduct.

We begin by marking an historic anniversary: 50 years since the founding of Ineco (1968-2018), half a century during which we are proud to have had the opportunity to contribute to the structuring of the country through our involvement in the design and construction of major road and rail routes, port and airport development, urban transport and intermodal transport in Spain as a whole. It has unquestionably been a decisive period for the history of Spain and its infrastructure, and also for our growth and consolidation as a high-performance, flexible and technologically advanced public works engineering firm, which enables us to act as a trusted consultant in the eyes of our shareholders and as a valuable partner in the foreign market.

In addition to this celebration, I would also like to add the positive close to the year, promising portfolio prospects and our eager anticipation to support two of the Ministry of Public Works’ major projects this year, namely the Innovation Plan and the Internationalisation Plan, programmes that will begin in February and will certainly provide a great boost to our technological and innovative capacity and open up new opportunities for collaboration with Spanish partners in order to continue with our expansion abroad. Both initiatives have enabled us to join forces and work together with other companies and institutions in the Public Works Group, and they will also soon be joined by the Sustainability Plan.

The 50 years since the founding of Ineco have unquestionably been a decisive period for the history of Spain and its infrastructure

As unity makes strength, this issue also celebrates the connection of the high-speed lines in the north of Spain with those in the south and east, our work with Acciona to improve Costa Rica’s infrastructure and the joint effort of all of Europe to give a final push for the implementation of BIM.

We thank Tomás Elejalde, general manager of Metro de Medellín, for giving us a full interview. And lastly, I would like to mention the exemplary efforts of our technical staff to make the advancement of high-speed rail a reality, as our readers will be able to see in the reports on the Central High-Speed Line in Madrid, the extension of the Basque Y in Guipúzcoa and the traffic control works on the line between Makkah and Madinah, a project that has successfully passed the first test of the entire 450 kilometres.

We open this issue with the news of the contract awarded recently for the design of the new terminal at Schiphol Airport, a project that will make us a participant in the expansion of one of the most important airports in the world. This excellent news joins the announcements of the recent contracts to execute the master plan for the Dammam Airport and the expansion and rehabilitation of the Liberia airport. These international contracts reflect Ineco’s strength and competitiveness in the aeronautical sector, and are complemented by articles covering the projects and construction supervision in two airports in Cape Verde, and the feature article on the aeronautical safety studies.

In the railway sector, the cover story highlights another large project that has already been completed: the high-speed line that our experts have designed in Egypt to connect Cairo, Luxor and Hurghada. More than 1,000 kilometres in length, it is the longest section of high-speed track ever built by Ineco, only recently surpassed by the 1,500 kilometres of another similar project, the high- speed line between New Delhi and Kolkata.

The latest international contracts awarded to Ineco reflect our strength and competitiveness in the aeronautical sector

Projects such as the Indian project and this most recent project in Egypt, are enormous railway challenges that clearly demonstrate the capacity and expertise of the teams, made up of more than one hundred people who contributed to make them a reality. In total, the projects required two years of work which, in order to ensure the success of the study, involved various Egyptian public entities responsible for the implementation of the project, led by the Ministry of Transport and the National Railways of Egypt.

This study by Ineco, with the support of Adif and Renfe, exports the experience and know-how of Spanish engineering and industry in the design, construction and maintenance of high-speed lines. Experience that has pushed us to continue our participation in the development of high-performance networks, such as HS2 in the UK, in which Ineco has been awarded a new contract, projects for the installation of the ERTMS in Denmark, the railway integration works in the historic city of León, and the renovation of the San Bernardo station in Seville, all of which are described in this issue.

Lastly, we cap off this issue with a new section titled In Closing, in which our professionals tell us about the latest developments in their respective areas. In this case, we are starting with Rocío Viñas, our deputy director general of Cooperation and Innovation, who discusses the Spanish Hyperloop project. A closing that is aimed at sharing new developments in the sector with our readers.