The city of Almeria lies along the Mediterranean Sea in the province of Andalusia in southeast Spain. Almeria has nearly 200,000 residents and its economy is based largely on agriculture and tourism.
Challenge
Spain has for several decades been upgrading its rail system to make it compatible with the high-speed network in the rest of Europe. The country is building over 200 km of high-speed rail, including in the Almeria region.
Solution
WSP, under contract with Spain’s Ministry of Public Works, designed the 8.2 km Los Gallardos-Sorbas section of the high speed rail line known as the Spanish Mediterranean Railway Corridor. The contract included geotechnical and environmental services.
The Los Gallardos-Sorbas section includes six bridges ranging in length from 120 m to 534 m. The project also has seven overpasses, two underpasses and it required replacement of numerous utilities.
The line is double track electrified and designed for train speeds of up to 300 km/h for mixed traffic. Signage uses the European rail traffic management system, has notice of signals and automatic brakes and a wireless communication specifically designed for railways.
