Tunnelling starts on new Barcelona Airport rail link

SPAIN’s infrastructure manager Adif has started tunnelling for a 4.5km rail link to serve both terminals at Barcelona Airport replacing the existing single-track branch line which only serves Terminal 2 on the north side of the airport.

The €285m project involves building a double-track line of which 3.4km and both stations will be underground. The tunnel will have a diameter of 10.6m and a maximum depth of 25.8m. A tunnel boring machine is being used to construct a 2.8km section which is expected to take between six and seven months to complete.

Initial work on the airport rail link started in 2015, and 25% of the project has been completed so far.

The journey time from Barcelona Sants to Terminal 1 is expected to take 19 minutes although an opening date has not been announced.

The project was first proposed in 2009 and a civil works contract was awarded in 2010 to construction companies Copcisa, Ferrovial and Sacyy, but the scheme was put on hold shortly afterwards due to budgetary constraints.