Flooding of high-speed rail tunnel on Malaga line is worsening, with repair expected to take 'months'
At the moment, there are "minimal delays" of five to ten minutes in the affected section and train drivers can recover the lost time during the rest of the journey
The aquifer incident inside a high-speed rail tunnel in Abdalajís in Malaga province, which happened last week, has led to more serious damage than expected. The landslide, which punctured the aquifer, caused a flood and the level of the water was exceeding the level of one railbed on Friday. Employees working inside the tunnel have shared videos that show the seriousness of the situation, which will take months to be resolved.
In fact, technicians have not been able to assess the extent of the repair work needed, which means that no deadline can be provided for the moment. Once the technical report is ready, costly emergency work will be carried out.
Rail infrastructure company Adif has warned that this is "a complex repair, both because it is inside the tunnel and because of the special geological characteristics of the area", which implies the need for caution and longer deadlines. The most important thing is to prevent additional damage to the aquifer. Another factor that delays the provision of deadlines is that, although complex, the operation is not considered urgent because traffic circulation is still guaranteed on another track in the tunnel.
Railway traffic is maintained
High-speed trains in both directions can continue running almost normally on the second track. At the moment, there have been "minimal delays" of five to ten minutes and train drivers can recover the lost time during the rest of the journey.
Problems could arise in the event of an incident on this second track - at the platform, with the catenary or with a train breakdown in or close to the tunnel, which would leave the high-speed line with no alternative option.
The Malaga delegate of the Junta de Andalucía's regional government - Patricia Navarro - demanded that minister of transport Óscar Puente take responsibility for the breakdown. She urged the central government to act quickly and repair the tunnel. In addition, she highlighted the "lack of maintenance and conservation of the railway network", which affects an area already suffering serious problems with water supply.
