The project of the rail access to Ferrol's Exterior Port consists of a branch connecting the two docks of the port of Ferrol, the interior and the exterior, in twin guage (Iberian and metric). At the beginning the branch runs parallel to the existing rail network in the Cerramiento Norte pier and connects with the outer dock via 6.4 km route, of which 5.6 km runs through a tunnel, which will pass through the Brión mountains from A Graña to the esplanade of the Outer Habour. The tunnel will have the required security measures, including an evacuation gallery that runs parallel to the railway. The access has, in addition, a bridge of 300 meters that will avoid the cove of A Malata, whose design minimises the possible effects of itself.
The execution of the tunnel will commence from the two tunnel entrances, without overlapping the excavation phases in the section of the tunnel, and the excavation will not commence on the east mouth tunnel entrance (A Graña) until the execution of the viaduct is completed. This will minimize the inconvenience to the residents of A Cabana and A Graña caused by land movements.
With rail access, Ferrol's Exterior Port aims to become a port of global importance, increase its tonnage of freight traffic, its gross added value and generate new jobs, also increasing the competitiveness of industries in the area.
This project joins previous projects carried out by Applus+, which has been providing the service of control and surveillance of railway works for more than 25 years. As a result, customers of various kinds have taken Applus+ as a point of reference and have relied on the company to carry out different projects, which have resulted in a high volume of business and market.