Ministry of Public Works activates special unit to deal with the particularly cold weather

Through AENA Aeropuertos, the Ministry of Public Works has activated its "Plan of action against winter ice and snow contingencies' (better known as the 'Winter Plan') at those airports at risk of suffering adverse weather conditions.

During the winter season, work is focused on an exhaustive monitoring of meteorological conditions, a constant checking of runway, taxiway and platform conditions, ensuring the availability of grit and gritting equipment and regular measurements of the rolling resistance coefficient.

This year, AENA Aeropuertos has more than 85 of its own vehicles for the removal of snow and ice, as well as various tools that can be fitted to smaller vehicles, such as ploughs and spreaders.

These resources include 22 rolling resistance coefficient measurement vehicles, 21 snowplough and grit spreaders, 2 liquid-type grit spreaders and 17 sweepers (with snowploughs or blowers), as well as fire engines, tractors and 4x4 vehicles fitted with snowploughs.

To these resources can be added those recently awarded to the Airport of Madrid-Barajas for the implementation of its 'Winter Action Plan', which comprise 15 trucks fitted with snowploughs, sweeper brushers and blowers, 17 trucks fitted with snowploughs and grit spreaders, 2 snow blowers, 12 loaders, 25 mini-diggers, 10 dump trucks, 2 all-terrain vehicles with snowploughs and other auxiliary vehicles, among other things.

The airports operated by AENA Aeropuertos also have a capacity to store their own grit.

RENFE has activated its 'Plan of Preventive Measures' to combat harsh winter weather due to the cold and snow warning. Among the measures that form part of standard protocol in such situations, the company is guaranteeing the availability of back-up locomotives at strategic locations, as well as additional staff. RENFE will also strengthen its customer service and information resources.

The measures adopted as a result of the weather warning include additional staff at track gauge switching points that can be called upon in the event of an accumulation of ice and the checking of wheels while trains are at stations prior to passing through such switching points.

RENFE is guaranteeing the availability of back-up locomotives at strategic locations, such as Miranda, Monforte, Zaragoza, Leon, Medina and Salamanca. Furthermore, at the ends of the line on services in the north and north-east of the peninsula, extra staff will be made available to maintain the equipment in working condition and to avoid difficulties when setting trains in motion due to the accumulation of ice on the overhead power lines.

As part of its additional customer service measures, RENFE has alerted its onboard service providers of the need to guarantee provisions for passengers so that, in the event of extended stops or power outages, sufficient reserves of hot food and drink are available, as well as blankets on night trains.

Similarly, additional customer service and information staff will be made available at major stations and critical points, and additional resources will be assigned to the standard information channels (onboard PA systems, alerts on www.renfe.com, telephone and ticket booth assistance). RENFE will provide its passengers with detailed information about any incidents and the alternative measures being adopted (delays, road links, etc.).

For its part, ADIF will be implementing preventive measures and will mobilise its infrastructure maintenance teams as of seven o'clock on Wednesday afternoon.

Efforts will be mainly focused on the Leon-Gijon lines, especially as they pass through El Puerto de Pajares; Palencia-Santander between Mataporquera and Reinosa; Castejón-Miranda de Ebro-Bilbao and Lleida-L´Hospitalet de Llobregat.

Test locomotives will be mobilised to this effect in Lugo de Llanera (Asturias), Miranda de Ebro (Burgos), Reinosa (Cantabria) and Lleida. The purpose of these locomotives is to test out the lines during times at which no other trains are running in order to avoid the accumulation of snow on the rails and to stop them from freezing. If necessary, these locomotives will be fitted with snowploughs.

In addition, the infrastructure maintenance equipment in these geographical areas are also on alert in case they need to be mobilised to clean or defrost switching points, platforms, etc. By using complementary resources, overhead voltage will be maintained at certain stations in order to ensure operation of the electrical units that provide suburban railway services.