The cross-border section between Canfranc and Oloron-Sainte-Marie closed in following a freight train derailment on the French side. At that time, it had been hoped that the rest of the line through the Somport tunnel to Canfranc could have been reopened by However, this required more work on the Spanish side, notably at Canfranc itself, where the vast former international station building had become something of a symbol of the decline of the railway.
With reopening as a through route back on the agenda, ADIF began work in March to remodel Canfranc station, creating a simplified layout and developing new platforms and facilities on the eastern side of the original structure.
This was inaugurated on April 15 following the arrival of the morning train from Zaragoza, formed of a Class railcar. The revamped station area has seven 1 mm gauge tracks equipped with gauge-convertible polivalente sleepers. Three are for use by passenger services, the others for freight.
In October last year, the Minsitry of Development awarded consultancy Geocontrol an month contract to study options for regauging. There are also aspirations to electrify the line, which is widely seen as a potential extension to the Mediterranean Corridor freight axis from Sagunt and Valencia to Zaragoza via Teruel, which is currently being wired.
GERMANY: Infrastructure manager DB Netz has identified 20 lines totalling route-km which it intends to reactivate for both freight and passenger services by as part of an initiative to provide environmentally friendly transport alternatives.
