Between Arrizabalaga and Castejón a double platform for the high-speed train is being built. In this respect, the Ministry of Transport proposes — at least on a provisional basis — that this platform should have the width of a railway using the traditional railway. It would therefore be in line with the international standard width of the railway, 1,435 millimetres, throughout its journey. It aims to maintain the TAV platform between Castejón and Zaragoza in operation.

According to the Diario de Navarra, the Dean of Navarre of the Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Marinas, Pedro Busto, pointed out that this temporary option has “much” but also contemplates “risks”: “Among other things, the negative differences are that this change is maintained over time and that it is maintained for 30 or 40 years with the current station of the San Jorge neighborhood.” Busto also stresses that the Etxabakoitz station project risks following “sine die”.

The Ministry has indicated that the platform under construction for the TAV is expected to be finalised by 2026 or 2027. It will therefore be connected temporarily with the Bilbao-Casetas (Zaragoza) line to avoid its disuse.

Speed change

For its part, the Department for Territorial Cohesion of the Government of Navarra stated that with the change the train will also reach a "high speed": “This does not depend on the width but on the new train platform that reduces the slopes and curves.”