The Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) launched a tender for a vitality study focused on the Plasencia-León railway connection, with the aim of reactivating the corridor along the Silver Route.
The budget for the tender is 967,612.8 euros including VAT, and the planned execution period is 24 months. The call was published this Monday on the Public Sector Procurement Platform and will appear in the official journal of the European Union soon. An advert was released in July outlining the documentation, while several features have already been established.
A number of alternative options will be analyzed in the study and will later be compared under technical, economic-environmental, and operational assessments, resulting in the selection of a preferred or optimal alternative.
The feasibility study will cover a cost-effectiveness analysis as well as socio-economic considerations, in addition to a dedicated work program for the project.
Sections Plasencia, Salamanca, Zamora and Astorga are included in the Global Network of the Trans-European Transport Network.
By ministerial decision dated September 30, 1984, passenger and freight traffic was removed for a journey covering about 331 kilometers between Plasencia and Astorga. The segment between Palazuelo-Empalme and Plasencia was excluded from the closure, leaving Plasencia without a northbound rail connection to the Madrid-Extremadura line, ending in a cul-de-sac or terminal station.
The current state of the network continues to be defined across all segments.
Salamanca-Zamora
The Salamanca to Zamora stretch covers 66.2 kilometers. Parts of the route still retain original track fibers and sleepers, while other sections have been dismantled and are undergoing greenway reuses or modernization projects.
When the line reaches Zamora city, population 59,475, it approaches from the south, crossing the Douro river via a lattice-bridged structure with five spans. The journey then continues through the urban area of the old line; the railway passes through the city center and a tunnel still existing beneath existing streets. Seasonal connections can be made to the Zamora-Coruña line and to the Medina del Campo-Zamora line. Zamora station features three platforms and two standard gauge tracks, alongside two additional broad-scale tracks and other facilities typical of the region.
Zamora-Benavente
Between Zamora and Benavente, town of 17,376 residents, the route spans 57.6 kilometers. Along the way, platforms and buildings survive in various states, with some stations still standing while others have fallen into disrepair. A secondary green corridor runs about 25 kilometers between Barcena del Pinar and the valley, passing near Benavente.
The Benavente–Astorga segment runs 61.2 kilometers. Exiting Benavente, the railway runs parallel to the historic N-6 corridor toward Madrid and A Coruña. The stretch between La Baneza, population 10,024, and Astorga is 22 kilometers long and is among the last remaining sections with active traffic and intact superstructure in the area.