FOMENTO - BARCELONA AIRPORT RAIL CONNECTION

The project consists of a double-track railway line of approximately 4.5km, mostly in a tunnel, to access the two terminals of El Prat airport in Barcelona. The Barcelona airport is a main core Trans-European Transport Network airport; as such it must be connected by railway and road transport infrastructure of the TEN-T by 31 December 2050 (Art 41(3) of the TEN-T Regulation (Reg 1315/2013)). The project will provide such railway connection.

The project will significantly improve the access by rail to Barcelona's airport and is expect to result in a modal shift from road to rail with the corresponding environmental benefits in terms of reduction of noise, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and pollution.

The investment proposed under the project falls under Annex I of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive. An EIA was carried out in accordance with Directive 85/337/EEC, applicable at the time, and an environmental consent was granted in December 2006. The EIA included an appropriate assessment in accordance with the Habitants Directive 92/43/EEC. This will be further analysed during the appraisal.

The project is being implemented by the State Company for Land Transport Infrastructure (Sociedad Estatal de Infraestructuras del Transporte Terrestre, SEITT), subject to public procurement directive, and the National Railway Infrastructure Manager (ADIF), subject to utilities directive. The Bank will require the promoter to ensure that contracts for the implementation of the project have been/will be tendered in accordance with the relevant applicable EU procurement legislation, as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU, with the publication of tender notices in the Official Journal of the European Union, as and where required.