SPAIN’s prime minister, Mr Pedro Sánchez, joined the minister of transport and sustainable mobility, Mr Óscar Puente, and the minister of housing and the urban agenda, Ms Isabel Rodríguez, to mark the start of work on the northern section of Line 3 of the Seville metro on April 8.

The northern section of Line 3 will run for 7.55km from Pino Montano in the northern outskirts of the city to Prado de San Sebastián in the centre of Seville, where it will connect with Line 1.

Line 1 opened in 2009 and runs for 18km from Ciudad Expo to Olivar de Quintos, serving 22 stations. It is operated with a fleet of LRVs supplied by CAF.

Pino Montano is home to 30,000 people, half of the total population of the northern district of Seville. It will be served by three stations on Line 3.

The double-track Line 3 will run mainly underground and serve a total of 12 stations, one of which will be on the surface. Civil works on the project have started with the rolling stock maintenance depot and the 1.35km connection to Line 3 itself, at the northern end of the line between Pino Montano Norte and Los Mares.

Extending the Seville metro forms part of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility’s policy of developing safe and sustainable public transport, prioritising and encouraging the use of low-emission modes such as rail.

Under an agreement signed with the Andalucía regional government at the start of 2023, the ministry is providing €650m to meet 50% of the €1.3bn cost of building the northern section of Line 3.

This co-financing model was adopted for construction of metro Line 1 in Seville, as well as the Málaga metro network in Andalucía.

Work on Line 3 is due to take eight years to complete. The Andalucía regional government is responsible for tendering works contracts. In conjunction with the local authorities concerned, it will also be responsible for operating and maintaining Line 3.

“These works are starting to make the metro a reality for one of the most densely-populated areas of the capital of Andalucía,” says the president of the Andalucía regional government, Ms Juanma Moreno.

“Line 3 North will serve a population of 120,000 residents who live, work and move along its route, who will be able to connect with Line 1 and who will be closer to and able to reach more quickly Seville’s major hospitals, cultural centres, universities and law courts.”

Moreno announced the start of tendering for preliminary works on metro Line 2, which will run east-west across Seville from Torreblanca to Triana.

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