The Tenerife Council has completed the total elimination of silica sand in the traction and braking system of the tram, following a technical process that makes the Island the third region in Spain, after Bilbao and Seville, to completely eradicate this material from its railway network.
The measure has allowed the 26 trams of the island fleet to operate exclusively with calcium silicate, a non-harmful compound that offers the same technical performance, according to the island corporation on Wednesday.
The process has also included the thorough cleaning of all workspaces where silica was handled, ensuring environments completely free of residues.
In this regard, the president of the Tenerife Council, Rosa Dávila, has assessed the culmination of this process as a necessary action to improve the operational safety of the tram and protect workers’ health, emphasising that it is a specific measure with a direct impact on the daily functioning of the service.
“In just 12 months, the Tenerife Council has managed to solve a complex issue of occupational and operational health in the tram’s braking system, replacing silica sand with a safe and effective compound, and completely decontaminating all affected areas,” Dávila added.
The removal of silica sand has been accompanied by a comprehensive cleaning process of all facilities, depots, underpasses, stops and track areas.
This work has been audited and verified by the specialised company Inspection and Risk Safety, which conducted on-site inspections and issued a final report certifying the correct decontamination of all intervened areas.
The report confirms that surfaces and equipment are free from silica dust residues, thus closing the process from a technical and preventive perspective.
