Adif has awarded a EUR 283.3 million contract for the construction of the Loja Variant – Valle del Genil section of the Antequera–Granada HSL, without disclosing the name of the successful bidder. With this award — covering a 7.9 km section, over a third of which will run through tunnels or viaducts — all sections of the 19 km Loja Variant now have works either awarded, underway, or completed. Designed for standard-gauge double track, the Loja Variant will reduce travel times on routes connecting to Granada, via a newly designed alignment around the town of Loja, built to high-speed rail standards. The Valle del Genil section, which runs through the municipalities of Loja, Salar and Huétor-Tájar, is the longest of the Loja Variant. It includes major structures such as the 1.3 km Cerro de los Limones tunnel — the longest on the Variant — and the 794-metre-long Genil Viaduct, which will cross the Genil River, its fertile plain, and the A-92 motorway. Meanwhile, the 693-metre Salar Viaduct will span the Salar stream valley, nearby buildings, and the A-4155 road. The project has been coordinated with the Culture Department of the Andalusian Regional Government to protect the Villa Romana de Salar, a designated Cultural Heritage Site, through the incorporation of specific archaeological preservation measures. Environmental protection measures will also be implemented during construction. The Antequera–Granada HSL passes through the Loja region, an environmentally sensitive area with an underlying aquifer, presenting significant technical challenges. Roughly one-third of the Variant’s total length runs through tunnels or over viaducts — rising to 50% in the Loja–A92 section — and the project addresses both engineering requirements and environmental preservation via a new alignment to the south of the city and the A-92, along the slopes of the Sierra de Loja. The alignment comprises four railway sections: Loja Variant – Valle del Genil (awarded now); Loja Variant – Riofrío (under construction since 2024); Loja Variant – A92 (construction began this year); and Viaduct over the conventional Bobadilla–Granada line (completed). In parallel, Adif AV has launched a EUR 8.5 million tender for the purchase of 220,000 tonnes of ballast. This will be used for laying a new standard-gauge track parallel to the existing one over 46 km of the Antequera–Granada HSL — between Archidona Junction and Riofrío Junction, and also between the Íllora switch station (used for train crossover operations) and La Chana Junction. This follows the awarding of a EUR 9.6 million contract for the acquisition of over 80,000 sleepers for the same double-tracking project. Construction works for the second track along this stretch — where the existing rail platform has already been prepared for double track — will be tendered shortly. In parallel, the project for the electrification systems is currently being drafted. A 9.5 km section of double track is already in place and operational, between Antequera station and the Archidona viaduct. Planned or ongoing works include the double-tracking of: Archidona Junction – Riofrío Junction; Íllora – La Chana Junction; Between the end of the Loja Variant and Íllora (7.7 km, currently in the design phase); and The Loja Variant itself. Once completed, the Antequera–Granada HSL will feature 82 km of double track in its first phase, amounting to two-thirds of the line’s total length. Adif has stated that these projects may be co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). These investments will strengthen the capacity of the high-speed rail infrastructure connecting Granada — a strategic axis of the Mediterranean Corridor as it passes through Andalusia — to support the growing number of passengers and train services.