The Basque Government completes the track assembly at Bentaberri station on the Topo railway bypass
- 'Donostia will be a trailblazer in producing a first-rate local rail network', stressed Lehendakari Imanol Pradales
The Basque Government, through Euskal Trenbide Sarea (ETS), has completed the track assembly at Bentaberri station, the first of the three that make up the railway bypass of the Topo line through Donostia/San Sebastián. Lehendakari Imanol Pradales and the Basque Minister for Sustainable Mobility, Susana García Chueca, witnessed this new step in the realization of the new infrastructure, during their visit this Wednesday, when they were accompanied by the Mayor of the capital of Gipuzkoa, Eneko Goia.
This new milestone has completed the double track from the current Lugaritz terminal to the future one at Bentaberri, which will serve the Antiguo neighbourhood. In figures, the 4.2 kilometre of the bypass will require 8,400 metres of track, involving 907 tonnes of steel and a total of 10,500 concrete sleepers. 1,690 metres of the left track and 1,340 metres of the right have already been laid out of the 2,140 metres of the first section of the new infrastructure (Lugaritz-Miraconcha).
During the visit, the Lehendakari stressed that the new railway bypass, once up and running, would help to improve the quality of life of thousands of people and that it places Donostia at the cutting edge of mobility. 'The Donostialdea Metro is going to be worthwhile', he stressed.
'Now that we hold all the railway powers, Donostia will be a trailblazer in completing a first-rate local rail network. A network that will connect the whole territory and will help to structure the Basque Country. Donostia is yet again paving the way. Opening up the door to progress once more. The Basque Country is ahead of the curve. Yet another reason to feel proud of this city that is an international benchmark in many areas', Imanol Pradales stressed.
In turn, the Basque Minister for Sustainable Mobility pointed out that the new infrastructure is 'a strategic project for the future of mobility in Gipuzkoa, in order to meet citizens' needs and to encourage them to stop using their cars; the change underground is very notable, but this transformation is going to be felt on the surface as well; as the spaces freed up by the railway are going to improve the city considerably, with more land for housing, pedestrianised areas and leisure zones'.
With the civil work in this section completed two years ago – and now the track assembly –, the work is now focused on fitting out the low-voltage electrical facilities on platforms and technical rooms at Bentaberri station, along with the emergency exit to Zarautz avenue. All the electro-mechanical entrances – in other words, escalators, moving walkways and lifts – are also now fitted at the Bentaberri and Easo terminals. During the first quarter of this year, work will begin on the other facilities – those related to communications, electrification (catenary) and signalling – needed for the train to circulate.
After visiting Bentaberri station, the Lehendakari and the minister will go to the Miraconcha-Easo section – around 2,000 metres in length and which includes the Centro-La Concha and Easo terminals – to see how the work is progressing. There are two very different parts in this segment: the first is the Easo station, which is practically completed, and the Centro-La Concha rail cavern, which is now fully excavated, shorn up and is pending the civil works. Once concrete has been applied to the inverted arch, the concrete structural coating will be needed, along with the interior architecture of the future terminal, in other words, platforms, track pavement, mezzanines or stainless-steel lobbies and the final glazed steel coating.
The delegation, which plans to go through the whole of the line tunnel, will be able to see that only 18% of the final concrete coating remains to be done. On the other hand, the 6 ventilation galleries and technical rooms have been dug out and shored up. ETS has already completed the shaft for the Calle Easo lift, using the raise-boring technique. The surface canopy can thus already be seen from outside.
All the track accesses planned for both stations have their concrete coating and the glazed steel completed, except for those of Loiola and San Bartolomé, where the work will be carried out shortly. In this regard, the surface urban development work – in the San Bartolomé and Easo streets and for which there is an independent project – will start next week, after San Sebastián Day has been held.