MADRID, 5 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) has completed the drafting of the study of alternatives for the southern railway exit of Vigo, which culminates the first step in the planning process for the high-speed line that will link this city with Porto.

According to the department, said action will continue with the drafting and processing of the corresponding informative study, whose contract was tendered on December 23 and whose offer submission period ends on March 15.

The southern railway exit of Vigo constitutes an important piece of the new Vigo-Porto high-speed line, whose priority status has been endorsed by the Spanish and Portuguese governments and which, following a request from both countries, has been included in the proposal of the Extended Basic Network of the Trans-European Transport Network in the common position reached by the Transport Council of the European Union last December.

The study of alternatives has been drawn up with two objectives: to analyze the options to allow the continuity of the Atlantic railway axis to the south of Vigo and to unify the services of the two passenger stations that the city has today: Vigo-Urzáiz and Vigo-Guixar.

Likewise, as a complementary objective, the study has analyzed the feasibility of a railway connection with the Bouzas port terminal, through a branch from the south exit.

In short, the study proposes the transformation of Vigo-Urzaiz into a through station is a necessity if you want to promote rail services with Portugal; It is considered essential that the South Exit connects with line 810 Monforte de Lemos - Chapela Bifurcation; and the document allows the development of two alternatives, identified as Conexión Norte and Conexión Sur (depending on whether its connection with line 810 occurs to the north or south of O Porriño), with an estimated investment of 686.6 million euros.

Regarding the connection with the Bouzas terminal, difficulties have been detected for its insertion into the urban fabric. Likewise, to advance in the analysis of the viability of this connection, it will be necessary to deepen its studies of demand and profitability. This must be done independently of the South Exit planning process so as not to condition its progress.

In any case, the alternatives for the southern exit have been proposed in such a way that they are compatible with a future implementation of the rail connection with the Bouzas terminal.