The Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, through Adif Alta Velocidad (Adif AV), has tendered a EUR 10.7 million (US$ 11.9 million) contract for technical assistance in constructing the first section of the Burgos–Vitoria High-Speed Line (LAV).

The planned high-speed rail line will span 101.3 km and is projected to cost approximately EUR 1.5 billion (US$ 1.6 billion). Its construction is aimed at advancing the Atlantic Corridor, extending the existing Madrid–Valladolid–Burgos high-speed route and linking the Basque Country to Spain’s broader high-speed rail network. Adif Alta Velocidad has organized the design phase into five separate contracts, each covering one of the five subsections that make up the future line.

The Pancorbo–Ameyugo section, situated midway along the Burgos–Vitoria route, presents significant technical and engineering complexities. Of its 8.4 km length, 77% consists of three tunnels and three viaducts, allowing the new line to be carefully integrated into the surrounding landscape while accommodating existing infrastructure, including the N-1 road, which it crosses twice. Key features include the 4 km Pancorbo Tunnel, which passes through the environmentally sensitive Montes Obarenes Natural Park, and a 1.1 km viaduct situated just below the tunnel. This structure spans the N-1 and SC-BU-7 roads as well as the Arroyo de la Llosa stream.

The Burgos–Vitoria high-speed rail line (LAV) includes the construction of a new standard-gauge double-track line, along with a single-track bypass in Miranda de Ebro. This bypass will enable both train stops within the town and uninterrupted through traffic outside the urban area. The new line will integrate the Basque Country into Europe’s largest high-speed rail network, which spans 4,000 km. Moreover, the project marks a significant step forward in developing the Atlantic Corridor. It extends the Madrid–Valladolid–Burgos high-speed line not only into the Basque Country, where it will connect with the high-speed links currently under construction between the three Basque capitals, but also toward the French border.