Euskotren service between Zumaia and Zarautz back up and running from 16 March
- The Meagas tunnel collapse last July led to an 8-month disruption to the train service between the two coastal towns
- The disruption – initially envisaged to last a month and a half – was essential to carry out improvements to the Zumaia viaduct over the River Urola and track renewals in the Meagas and San Miguel tunnels.
On 16 March, Euskal Trenbide Sarea will reopen the Zumaia-Zarautz section to rail traffic, which has been closed for 8 months due to the Meagas tunnel collapse on 19 July.
The disruption – initially envisaged to last a month and a half – was necessary to carry out improvements to the Zumaia viaduct over the River Urola and track renewals in the Meagas and San Miguel tunnels.
At the time of the incident, work to reinforce the cladding was being carried out in the Meagas tunnel, as well as to replace the track and lower the railbed. The collapse occurred inside the tunnel and there were no injuries.
The rockfall affected the stability of the masonry lining the tunnel. The repair work was initially only undertaken from the Zarautz side, given the better access for the tunnel machinery.
After additional surveys and shoring were carried out, a second team carried out further shoring work from the tunnel mouth on the Zumaia side; that allowed the timeline to be shortened slightly, before starting on the track and installation work that are now completed.
Work carried out
The initial disruption was intended to improve the infrastructure of the section, involving a series of actions promoted by the Transport Department headed by Minister Iñaki Arriola, with a global investment of nearly €6 million.
Structural repairs have also been made to the Zumaia Bridge, also known as the San Miguel Bridge over the River Urola. After removing the existing track and catenary, the improvements included sandblasting and painting the metallic structure, fitting anti-vibration matting, constructing the drainage network, assembling the track superstructure, catenary, and installing safety and communication facilities.
The track has also been replaced and the railbed lowered in the San Miguel and Meagas tunnels. In total, nearly three and a half kilometres of track have been renewed, with the corresponding catenary and communication installations; 2.5 km are ballasted track and the rest ballastless.
The service has been guaranteed throughout the period by bus transfers between Zumaia and Zarautz. However, ETS would like to apologise to users for any inconvenience caused.