Adif has long continued to strengthen the intermodality between sea and land transport and strive for greater rail network efficiency. It is now focusing on upgrading the Escombreras freight terminal and improving its rail siding capacity and reliability.
Automatic barriers and light and sound signals will be installed at the three level crossings located on the branch line and connected to the Escombrera terminal interlocking. The contract was awarded to Ingeniería y Control Ferroviario for more than 595,000 euros and a duration of 8 months. Adif expects that this installation will improve the railway operation of the Escombreras terminal and the connecting branch line. At the same time, the economic conditions and the quality of traffic and maneuvers at the approach to the port facilities should also improve.
In parallel with these works, Adif is continuing to make modifications to the Escombreras terminal to enable the assembly, dispatch, and reception of trains up to 750 m, and to improve the terminal signaling and connecting branch. These adaptation works have already been executed by the Port Authority under the Port Land Accessibility Financial Fund (FFATP), with an investment of 26 million euros.
All construction modifications are part of the agreement for the improvement of the Escombreras terminal, signed in 2018 by Adif and the Port Authority of Cartagena. The works are scheduled for completion in 2023 with a total investment of more than 3 million euros.
