THE Spanish cabinet has given its approval for high-speed infrastructure manager Adif AV to call tenders for a package of capacity enhancement works at Barcelona Sants station worth up to €175.8m.
The contract comprises work under Phase 1 of a €410m capacity enhancement programme. Barcelona’s principal station is now expected to be used by 74.7 million passengers in 2030, up 55% on 2019 and 28% more than initially forecast.
Work has already been completed under Phase 0 to reconfigure the existing boarding lounge for high-speed passengers at the station.
Phase 1 comprises three main elements. The first of these will include increasing the size of the station on its eastern side facing the square named Plaça dels Païses Catalans. A new boarding lounge for high-speed passengers will be built to meet future demand, separating flows of arriving and departing passengers.
There will be three new upper levels within the station, with one floor providing direct access to the platforms from the boarding area, as well as new waiting areas for high-speed passengers.
The station surface area will increase by 30%, with space for high-speed passengers rising from 3700m2 to 10,220m2. Space for passengers using commuter services will increase from 2600m2 to 4400m2, through the construction of a new entrance from the square, providing an additional waiting area and new retail facilities.
Connections with bus and metro services will likewise be improved, while the existing main station hall will be reconfigured to improve passenger flows across an area of 18,000m2. New customer service and retail facilities will be provided.
The second component of Phase 1 will see the Plaça dels Païses Catalans restored to its original design, with play areas and new green space. The existing road between the station and the square will be pedestrianised.
Access to the station from the coach terminal in the Plaça dels Païses Catalans will be improved under the third strand of Phase 1, creating a new pedestrian route that will connect the square with the Plaça de Joan Peiró on the other side of Barcelona Sants.
The taxi rank, bus stops and drop-off areas located on the Plaça dels Païses Catalans will be moved to the other side of the station. A total of 8500m2 around Barcelona Sants is to be remodelled under Phase 1.
The project will also see new greenery and solar panels installed, the latter producing 416,061 kWh of electricity a year for internal use and reducing annual CO2 emissions by 67 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. Energy efficiency measures will be combined with the use of low-carbon sustainable construction materials such as granite.
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