The expropriations for the rainwater well of the Lutxana-Sondika railway are made public in Erandio

The Directorate of Railway Infrastructure of the Department of Sustainable Mobility of the Basque Government has published the list of affected assets and rights for the project to construct a rainwater pumping pit at point PK 2+600 of the Lutxana-Sondika railway. The decision is dated October 30, 2026, and was published in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country on November 11, 2026 (issue no. 216), with official reference 2026/4778. The impact is limited to a plot of land in the municipality of Erandio, and the owner may submit allegations within a period of 15 business days.

The project itself was approved by the Resolution of April 17, 2026, and published on April 27, 2026, both in issue no. 77 of the Official Gazette of the Basque Country and in issue no. 77 of the Official Gazette of Bizkaia. Therefore, the procedure now initiated is a consequence of the previously approved project, not a new project.

Article 6.2 of the Law 38/2015 of December 29 on the Railway Sector —as amended by Law 26/2022 of December 19— establishes that the approval of railway line projects entails the public benefit or social interest over the affected assets and rights, the need for occupation, and the declaration of urgent occupation. However, articles 17.2, 18, and 19.2 of the Forced Expropriation Law of 1954 of December 16 make it mandatory to publish a descriptive list to allow for the correction of errors and the receipt of allegations to properly specify the interested parties. This Directorate is the competent body to process the procedure, according to article 11.2.c) of Decree 382/2024 of November 19.

Rainwater accumulation and recurrent flooding

The pumping system will be located on Line 7, in the section between the Asua I and Asua II railway crossings of the Lutxana-Sondika stretch. This area has unfavorable orography and a low point around PK 2+600, where surface water accumulates and flooding of the railway platform has been repeatedly recorded; the entire area of intervention covers the section from PK 2+507 to PK 2+778. The objective is to efficiently drain rainwater and waste water to prevent flooding at that point.

Seven main work sections

• Supply and installation of a prefabricated pumping pit, with the capacity required for the predicted flow.
• Installation of two submersible pumps, with an anti-freeze system.
• Installation of an external electrical panel, with protections, float switches, and an alarm.
• Execution of thrust pipes and technical crossings, under the slab and in the railway crossing.
• Performance of functional tests, commissioning, and delivery according to current regulations.
• Closing the installation to restrict access.
• Adapting access for the work, for future maintenance tasks.

Fifteen business days for allegations

The public information period will last 15 business days, counted from the day following the final publication of the resolution; therefore, it must be published in two official gazettes and the period will begin on the day following the latter. Allegations and data shall be addressed to the Directorate of Railway Infrastructure of the Department of Sustainable Mobility, at San Sebastian street 1, Lakua 1, 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz. During the same period, the same list will also be visible on the notice board of the Erandio City Council. The personal data received will be included in the “Expropiaciones metro y ferrocarril” processing activity, following the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Organic Law 3/2018 of December 5.

Single plot on the list

The annex of the resolution lists the only plot in the municipality of Erandio, and its data are as follows:

• Estate 001, cadastral reference 1043-1004.
• Owner: Joseba Iñaki Aurrekoetxea Fano.
• Full ownership: 146 square meters.
• Temporary occupation: 727 square meters.
• Nature: compact silty soil and spontaneous vegetation.

In total, 873 square meters will be affected. The purpose of this procedure is not to agree on the amount of compensation, but rather to correct any errors that may be in the list and to properly identify the interested parties. The resolution was signed by María Dolores de Juan de Miguel, Director of Railway Infrastructure.

The infrastructure is small in square meters, but it has a direct consequence for the owners appearing on the list: the public benefit and the need for occupation have already been recognized with the approval of the project, and the public information procedure only provides a way to correct errors and identify the interested parties. The purpose of the work is to alleviate the interruptions caused by recurring flooding of the railway platform and to improve the robustness of the railway operation at that low point around the Asua.

Fuente: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, n.º 216, 11 de noviembre de 2026, Otras Disposiciones (referencia oficial: 2026/4778).