Getafe suburb will get acoustic shields

The passing of the AVE high-speed train through the area has bothered residents for a long time

Work has started on the construction of acoustic shields along the railway section of the high-speed AVE train that passes through the Perales del Río suburb of Getafe, in the south of Madrid. It is expected to be completed in the upcoming months granting local residents the peace and quiet that they have been demanding for years.

There is a solution to noise pollution

The municipal authorities have been on the side of citizens when searching for ways to resolve the ongoing problem caused by upgrading of the Spanish railway system.

Specifically, the noise disturbance is generated each time the high-velocity train enters and leaves the tunnel that is located under the old M-301 highway linking Perales del Río with Cerro de los Ángeles.

The most optimal solution was found to be the installation of acoustic or noise-proofing shields along the railway near the two tunnel exits. One side of will count with a 336-metre section of these shields and the other with a 55-metre section.

"After years of neighbourhood demands and mayoral meetings with ADIF and with the Ministry of Transportation, we finally got these compensation works that will improve the quality of life in the neighbourhood," assured Jorge Rodríguez, Getafe Councillor of Urban Development.

Perales del Río is a small locality with an ancient history, which although located at a distance from the main body of Getafe, forms part of its municipal area. Last year, the Getafe City Hall announced that it will begin studies about the possible implementation of district councils, which would allow better links between the local government and residents, such as those from Perales del Río.

The 1992 construction of the AVE line to Seville split the neighbourhood into two sections.