In the big-picture infrastructure projects, not everything goes as planned. When technical difficulties compound institutional paralysis, the schedule often stretches by months. This sentiment holds true for the efforts to advance the Atlantic Corridor delivering goods to Vigo. Adif, the Infrastructure Manager, had pointed to a 200 million euro program slated to begin in the latter half of 2023. Yet delays in completing the preceding section and a slowdown in investments during government formation caused the planned works to be suspended.
Renfe this week announced a new deadline extension to 2020. An alternative transport plan between Ourense and Monforte de Lemos, introduced in April, saw the line interrupted for eleven months for a comprehensive renovation and adaptation to high-speed standards and the requirements of this corridor within the Trans-European Transport Network.
On July 28, Adif announced a postponement of its summer opening to allow for expanded tunnel and overpass openings, but the rugged terrain’s complexity pushed the work plan further. The 46-kilometer stretch means Alvia trains linking Vigo and Barcelona and Media Distancia services from Guixar station to Ponferrada (RE 12608) must still endure a double transfer. Travelers can reach both cities in just over an hour by combining rail and bus connections.
The ongoing adaptation of the infrastructure—encompassing the line, electrification, and signaling—represents an investment exceeding 24.3 million euros. It sustains the improvements already carried out between Monforte and Lugo and paves the path for high-speed access to the historic walled city along the traditional route.
Consequently, until this section becomes operational, Adif will delay advancing the nineteenth-century Miño line (810 on the network) toward Vigo. According to the Manager’s Network Statement, work is planned for the current year in Neves, Redondela, and between Porriño and Guillarei, with a line cut in between to ensure continuity.
Additionally, a comprehensive renovation of Vigo’s station infrastructure, including the non-electrified segment between Vigo and Pontevedra, was slated to begin in 2024, with planning adjustments already in motion.
Slowdown in tenders
After a period of intense activity, contracting desks across public bodies are now feeling the fatigue of elections and budgetary uncertainties. In the first nine months of the year, the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA) reported a 48 percent rise in tenders. As municipal, regional, and general elections approached, Raquel Sánchez Jiménez’s department and related entities paused these processes due to government ambiguity and unclear political futures.
Last April, the Official Journal of the European Union announced five contracts worth 100 million euros within the Atlantic Corridor plan, with Vigo set to benefit; the deadline was 30 June. None had reached completion by then and some had only been announced.
Most notably, 94.5 kilometers between Ourense and Guillarei were designated for upgrades, with 40 million euros earmarked to extend the useful track length to 750 meters and to implement new safety systems in line with operations at a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour.
This pattern repeats in three other contracts, where the Court of Justice of the European Union set 31 December as the final publication date. The most significant of these concerns the comprehensive renewal of the infrastructure and line between Guillarei and Redondela stations, valued at 30,721,918.62 euros.
1) Complexity in work
The extensive renovation of the Ourense to Monforte de Lemos line, driven by technical problems, has caused the Miño line project to be postponed.
2) Tenders are pending
Approximately 200 million euros across 11 contracts related to the Atlantic Corridor and conventional rail are expected by Adif and the Government to be released for tender from the summer.
The agreements concerning the Mos and Porriño stretch will take 23 months and include a minor bypass in the town. Viaducts were built to prevent northbound trains from having to turn back. A similar contract has begun to ensure the Port of Vigo’s continuity and the Guixar station, covering ten kilometers over fifteen months for 25.393 million euros.
This investment paralysis also affects the Vigo Free Trade Zone Consortium, temporarily operating since the resignation of MP David Regades, or the Vigo Port Authority until Carlos Botana took the presidency.
On Vigo’s southern rail出口, the associated planning was awarded in May with an 18-month completion timeline.
68,000 Renfe bonds in Galicia await PGE
Renfe reported that 68,455 free tickets for Media Distancia, Cercanías, and Avant services—at 50 percent off in Galicia from 1 September to 31 December 2023—remain in circulation. This pattern maintains user levels from previous quarters and informs expectations for the coming year. The government agreement between PSOE and Sumar emphasizes continued public transport use, especially rail, though analysts anticipate changes to the current system.
Regardless, a simple extension of General Budgets could extend this period into 2024.