Spain Opens Public Review of Sagunto–Teruel Freight Upgrade

Spain has opened public consultation on the Sagunto–Teruel freight upgrade, advancing plans to carry longer, heavier trains across the steepest section of the Cantabrian–Mediterranean corridor.

Spain’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility⁠ provisionally approved the feasibility study on July 9, 2026. An Official State Gazette notice⁠ published on July 16 opened a 45-working-day consultation period.

Members of the public, institutions and affected authorities can submit comments on the proposed alignment and its environmental impact. After consultation, the study will be referred to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge for environmental authorisation.

The decision advances the preferred alternative through the planning process; it does not authorise construction or mean that the upgrade has been completed.

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Dual traction targets the steepest gradients

The study seeks to remove technical constraints that currently limit the number, length and weight of freight trains operating between Sagunto and Teruel. Steep gradients across the mountainous section reduce locomotive performance and constrain the volume of goods that each train can carry.

The proposals include straightening curves, reducing gradients and constructing new sections where improvements to the existing alignment would be insufficient.

Following technical, economic, operational and environmental assessment, the authorities selected alternative I.1 + II.1 + III.1. The option makes the greatest use of the existing railway, minimises environmental impact and is designed to accommodate the baseline demand forecast through 2061.

Infrastructure on the steepest sections would be adapted for dual traction. A second locomotive could then be coupled to a train, allowing longer and heavier formations to negotiate the gradients and increasing the route’s freight capacity.

More than EUR 500 million mobilised for the route

The Sagunto–Teruel project forms part of Adif’s approximately 315 km Zaragoza–Teruel–Sagunto Master Plan. More than EUR 500 million has been mobilised for the programme, which supports the rail axis connecting the ports of Valencia and Bilbao with logistics centres including Platea, Zaragoza Plaza and Júndiz.

The Sagunto–Teruel section also belongs to the TEN-T core network through the Mediterranean Corridor, linking Spain’s eastern freight routes with the wider European transport system.

Adif’s related measures include an electrification study, signalling modernisation and the construction of sidings capable of accommodating 750-metre freight trains. The ministry has published the consultation documents and technical study⁠ for public review.

For now, consultation and environmental assessment are the next confirmed stages, while the proposed infrastructure changes remain at the planning stage.

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