José Carlos Tejada, coordinator of the Almería Railway Defense Platform, has expressed apprehension over the revised schedules for the completion of the high-speed platform connecting Almería city with Murcia. This concern stems from the Official State Gazette (BOE) publishing on March 30 the tender by Adif Alta Velocidad for the track assembly works between Lorca (Murcia) and Vera (Almería).
According to the BOE, companies interested in this project, with a budget of 108 million euros including material costs, have until late 2026 to submit their bids. The award of the track assembly works, which will accommodate AVE trains, is not expected until spring 2027, after economic offers are known on February 24, 2027. With an execution period set at 10 months, this phase would not conclude until well into 2028.
“"From that moment, the superstructure must be completed with catenaries and substations and tests with the laboratory train, which would take us to dates until 2029 or 2030."
The extended tender period could be linked to the ongoing railway integration works, specifically the undergrounding in Lorca, Murcia. This would mean the Lorca-Vera platform, spanning over 60 kilometers, would not be available until 2028. In contrast, other sections in Almería experienced quicker tender processes, with awards made within a few months.
The Council of Ministers had already authorized the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, led by Óscar Puente, to tender this contract in February. Adif Alta Velocidad has already progressed with track assembly on other sections of the line, such as Vera-Almería (68 kilometers) and Nonduermas-Lorca San Diego (57.5 kilometers), and has begun procuring necessary supplies like turnouts and ballast for the entire Lorca-Vera-Almería route. The work includes standard gauge track assembly across the entire section and at the four stations: Puerto Lumbreras, Almendricos, Pulpí, and Vera-Almanzora.
