High-Speed Lines
Madrid – Castile-La Mancha - Valencia Region - Murcia Region Line
Advantages of the line
The construction of this high-speed line, with a length of 955 kilometres, is an engineering challenge requiring a huge investment. The total planned investment of 12.41 billion euros, and all of the activity before and after the line is put into service will help to boost the economy and regional structure of our country
The train travels through four Autonomous Regions: Madrid, Castile-La Mancha, Valencia Region and Murcia Region. It is the backbone for the high-speed rail connections from the south-east of Spain to the central tablelands. It allows all the provincial capitals in Castile-La Mancha to access high-speed trains, and reduces travel times from the whole of the Valencia Region and Murcia Region to the Spanish capital. These regions are home to approximately 26% of the Spanish population.
All of the cities along the route will have appreciably reduced rail travel times, as well as improved quality and safety conditions on railway journeys. A significant example is the outstanding travel time between Madrid and Valencia, which is now 1 hour 35 minutes, instead of almost 2 hours before the line opened.
As well as serving as the backbone of the transport structure of the different Autonomous Regions, the line will boost socioeconomic development and business competition.
It also entails the creation of new functional, modern stations, designed for the 21st century, at Cuenca, Requena - Utiel, Albacete, Valencia, Alicante, Murcia, Almansa, Villena and Elche.
All the works on this line have been entrusted to Adif. Of the total investment of 12.41 billion euros, 6.6 billion euros were allocated to the sections opened in 2010, Madrid - Albacete and Madrid - Valencia.
The opening of the first 438 kilometres of the line to Valencia and Albacete, which were put into service on 19 December 2010, has contributed to making Spain the European country with the most kilometres of high-speed lines.
The high-speed line will allow an annual reduction of 80,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, and a saving in energy consumption of almost 30,000 tonnes of petroleum equivalent, for an estimated 3 million travellers.
Put into service. Opening ceremonies
Their Majesties the King and Queen opened the Madrid-Valencia section on 18 December 2010.
The Madrid – Cuenca – Albacete section was officially opened by the Prince and Princess of Asturias on 15 December 2010.
Characteristics
Length: 955 km
Length of sections in service: 438 km
Total planned investment: 12.41 billion euros
International double gauge track (1435 mm)
Infrastructure designed for a maximum velocity of 350 km/h
Maximum commercial speed: 300 km/h
Infrastructure in the Madrid- Albacete-Valencia sections: 79 viaducts and 50 tunnels
Universal gauge changer: Albacete and Valencia
Control and regulation centres (CRC): Albacete and Madrid Puerta de Atocha
Stations in service in 2010: Madrid-Puerta de Atocha, Cuenca Fernando Zóbel, Requena-Utiel, Vialia Albacete los Llanos and Valencia Joaquín Sorolla
Electrification: 25 KV/Alternating current
Signalling: ERTMS. Levels 1 and 2
Telecommunications: Mesh with ring topology. IP and SDH mesh networks
Radiotelephony: GSM-R
Spacing of 4.7 m
Cross-section with platform width of 14 m. Allows a reduction of the area occupied by tracks.
Microsite of the Madrid - Castile-La Mancha - Valencia Region - Murcia Region line in Google Earth.
This microsite offers the possibility of:
- Tracing the route of the new high-speed line over a representation of the geography that it will travel through
- Locating ‘on the terrain’ those works and actions of greatest importance, together with the data and information about them.
- www.altavelocidadmadridlevante.es
Information Point and Customer Service Desk (PIAC)
El PIAC en la Red es un espacio de comunicación y atención permanente al ciudadano, que ofrece información sobre la construcción de las nuevas líneas de alta velocidad.
También ofrece atención personalizada a todas aquellas consultas recibidas a través de los correos electrónicos que se facilitan, ya sean relativas a los procesos constructivos en marcha, a la movilidad, u otros aspectos que afectan a la integración ferroviaria en el entorno urbano, con motivo de la construcción de los accesos ferroviarios a las respectivas ciudades.
Related Links
Partnerships
Partnerships established for remodelling the railway network in the cities of Murcia and Cartagena.
- Cartagena Alta Velocidad, S. A.
Tunnelling of the Cartagena Railway Network.
- Valencia Parque Central Alta Velocidad 2003 S.A.
Remodelling of the city of Valencia’s railway network.
