Adif has already undertaken initiatives to prepare for the significant change in rail mobility in the commuter, long-distance and high-speed networks.

The new railway complex will be fully integrated into the urban environment, to become a recognisable landmark for citizens.

The new station will be the beating heart of the major transformation of the Spanish railway system

Chamartín station will be Spain’s largest transport hub and one of Europe’s most important after its complete overhaul. María Luisa Domínguez, Adif’s General Director for Strategic Planning and Projects, made this point at Madrid Nuevo Norte’s institutional presentation of the definitive project. The future railway complex will serve to coordinate mobility within this large urban regeneration project. It will also be the origin of the new public transport network; however, its relevance will transcend to the national level. Adif’s representative highlighted that “all high-speed rail services nationwide, all Madrid’s commuter train services, and several EMT Metro, urban and metropolitan bus lines”, will converge in Chamartín.

Urban integration and representative image

The new railway complex will be completely redesigned, giving the urban context far more relevance than in the past. The station will be fully integrated into the city’s landscape, linked to the surrounding streets. It will no longer be isolated from its surroundings. The building will become the new northern face of the city, overlooking the large park that will be built over the rail yard. It will, therefore, become a clearly recognisable urban landmark for the citizens “with the right image, the one that the heart of mobility deserves to have”, said the senior manager of the railway company.

María Luisa Domínguez also detailed the overall progress made on the transformation of the railway system with Charmartín as the core asset. Adif will unify the high-speed services of Madrid’s two main train stations, Atocha y Chamartín, shortly. At the national level, this will translate into the merger of the two existing high-speed networks, that is, the one running north and northwest from Chamartín, and the one heading south, east and northeast from Atocha. This ambitious plan will also involve significant improvements in the commuter train service within the Community of Madrid.

Works in progress

Adif is already carrying out several works around Chamartín that are “essential for the railway system”, according to the senior manager of the infrastructure management company, including the redesigning of the tracks of the commuter service. María Luisa Domínguez explained that these works need to be carried out before covering the tracks so that the Central Park, the new green lung, can be created for the citizens to enjoy. “The commuter train service will be strengthened with this new design, as it will connect all destinations in the south with all in the north. It will have destination-specific platforms, providing clarity to the users”, she said.

In the coming months, Adif will invite tenders for the first extension of the high-speed tracks and the adaptation of the station’s concourse. An intervention that “is essential for adapting the station to current demand, bearing in mind the entry of new transport operators in late 2021”, she explained.

Photo: savh

18 teams have submitted projects

To cover all the mentioned needs, Adif and Adif AV have launched a project tender for the renovation of the station and its integration into the urban fabric. The tender requires the preparation of draft and basic projects, as well as a construction plan for this major transformation. It shall also take into account aspects such as the functional fit between the different uses of the future railway complex, and the expected throughput at different times of the day. The tender seeks a project that is fully functional and accessible, with a strong focus on sustainability.

Eighteen (18) companies have submitted their documentation to Adif on 2 July 2020 to take part in the first phase of the tender. Domínguez stated that the documents will be examined over the forthcoming weeks, according to the objective criteria set out in the specifications, to select 10 teams who will then be invited to participate in the second phase.