Beira Alta Line: Mangualde-Celorico

This project includes railway works, earthworks, drainage, special engineering structures, bridges and viaducts, regular engineering structures, overpasses and underpasses, reinstatements and parallel paths, containment structures, stations and halts, fixed installations for electric traction, base infrastructure for signalling and telecommunications, RCT+TP, affected services, and mitigation measures.

The aim of this project is to ensure the interoperability of the line with the adoption of versatile monoblock sleepers and to improve the general conditions of the line, notably by increasing the planned transport speed (to 120 km/h) and the maximum trailing load. This modernisation involves the complete replacement of the track superstructure along the specific section.

The route crosses several stations and halts: Contenças, Ap. Abrunhosa, Gouveia, Fornos de Algodres, Muxagata - E.T, and Ap. Vila Boa do Mondego.

Three common engineering structures have been constructed in this section:

- Overpass 139.1;

- Mourilhe Overpass;

- Gouveia Overpass.

These are single-span portal frame overpasses made of prestressed reinforced concrete. The deck is made up of precast beam alignments, in prestressed reinforced concrete in the case of the 139.1 Overpass and the Mourilhe Overpass, while the Gouveia Overpass is entirely cast in situ.

In this segment, 2 existing engineering structures and two special engineering structures are being rehabilitated.

Viaduct 1 consists of 9 spans, totalling a length of 326 m. It has a maximum height above ground of around 30 m and main spans of 38 m.

Viaduct 2 consists of 10 spans, totalling a length of 364 m. It has a maximum height above ground of around 50 m and main spans of 38 m.

Track Works

The project includes the laying of new track throughout the section and also on the secondary lines of the stations.

The construction works are carried out between two other projects that are ongoing simultaneously. Therefore, the unloading and distribution of the rails must be carried out outside the closure period of the Beira Alta line. Considering that most of the track works were executed over a period of 9 months, the rail bars were transported during the first 6 months of the project, while the line was still operational.

Overhead Contact Line Works

The Beira Alta Line is an existing railway corridor equipped with an operational overhead contact line system.

The track designed over the existing channel involved the construction of 10 new deviations, the renovation of the platform, and the replacement of the sleepers and UIC-60 type rails, resulting in changes at track grade. Consequently, catenary supports had to be adjusted, and in many cases, replaced with new supports (including foundations, masts, cantilevers, and catenary wires). This project also includes several specialised works, among which the following stand out:

- Sanitation and stabilisation of the track platform;

- Stabilisation and reinforcement of excavation and embankment slopes;

- Rehabilitation and reinforcement of the longitudinal and transverse drainage system;

- Extension of station useful lengths to 750 m to accommodate freight trains;

- Adaptation of passenger platforms and pedestrian accesses;

- Remodelling of stations and halts, including buildings and technical rooms;

- Adaptation of the electric traction infrastructure (catenary) to the changes made to the track alignment and station layouts;

- Construction of a new universal earthing system (RCT+TP)

- Adaptation of support infrastructure to the new signalling and telecommunications system.