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High-speed Murcia-Almería AVE: work on Lorca tunnel begins
The experts predict the train line between Andalucía and Murcia won’t be ready until 2027
The railway connection that will in the future unite Almería and Murcia took a fundamental step forward this Thursday August 29: work began on the construction of the Lorca tunnel, a key link in the chain for the upcoming high-speed trains between Andalucía and the Region.
The work in Lorca also sets the pace for the completion of the long-awaited rail connection and, unfortunately, ADIF, Spain’s train management company, has conceded that the AVE won’t be ready by 2026 as promised. Now, it’s unlikely that this tunnel section will be finished before May 2027.
But according to ADIF itself, the construction of the Lorca section of the line is already well underway: the almost 3-kilometre-long underground tunnel with a double track will ferry both freight and passenger trains from the Lorca-San Diego station to the Junction of the RM-11 road, linking with the Lorca-Pulpí section. This route will also eventually connect with the Totana-Lorca stretch of rail which is currently under construction.
The corresponding works in Almería are also advancing at full speed.
In addition to being a key and fundamental point for the connection between Almería and Murcia, the Lorca underground tracks represent a real challenge in terms of technical issues.
It’s being built below the Guadalentín riverbed, which will need to be temporarily diverted, a big job in itself.
In addition, the works include the construction of the Lorca Sutullena station in the central section of the tunnel, which will be six times bigger with the promise of lots of natural light and accessibility for all passengers.
The new station will “enhance the value of the historic building, a landmark of the city and Cultural Heritage of the Region of Murcia," an ADIF spokesperson said.
There will be plenty more to do once the Lorca project is finished though, as all of the railway line signalling lights have to be installed and after that, the vital process of testing all of the trains and the tracks themselves.
The good news is that the works have already started. But they bring with them a dose of reality: with a budget of 400 million euros, the construction of the Lorca tunnel has a deadline of 32 months, which would place the end date of the work in the first days of May 2027.
With this in mind, and even if everything from here on out goes exactly to plan, many sector insiders predict the high-speed line between Murcia and Almería won’t hit the tracks until the end of 2027 or the beginning of 2028.
Image: Ayuntamiento de Lorca
