Page 17 - Vía Libre Special - 25 Years of Spanish High Speed Rail

JAVIER LÓPEZ ORTEGA

The Madrid–Barcelona line is connected to the
international section at Figueres–Vilafant. In the
inaugurated with Series 103 trains which covered the photo, a Paris-Barcelona TGV. Vilanova del Vallés.
distance in 2 hours and 38 minutes.
In December 2010 the Figueres–Perpignan connection between the four provincial capitals of
international section entered into service, the Catalonia and between those provinces and the
final section of that corridor, ready for a future rest of Spain. It is also the integrating axis of the
link with European high speed networks. It is a northeast corridor, forming part of the European
section equipped for passenger and freight traffic, Commission’s Priority Axis 3 for transport. It also
which was built by a Franco-Spanish consortium makes up a substantial part of the Mediterranean
under a concession scheme at an investment Rail Corridor, infrastructure whose construction will
of 1,100 million euros. Of its total length of 44.4 drive the development of the entire coastline from
kilometres, 19.8 km run through Spain and the Catalonia to Andalusia.
remainder through France. The 8.2 kilometre long As well as connecting the two most heavily
Pertús tunnel overcomes the barrier formed by populated cities in Spain, Madrid and Barcelona, the
the Pyrenees. line connects the cities of Guadalajara, Calatayud,
The line was completed In January 2013 with
the entry into service of the 131 kilometre long
section between Barcelona and Figueres. The project Key features of the
required an investment of over 3,700 million euros, infrastructure
not including the cost of the refurbishment and
construction work on the stations of Barcelona - Length: 798,4 km.
Sants, Girona, and Figueres-Vilafant. In the beginning, - Gauge: Standard.
over half the length of the entire section (75 - Maximum speed: 350 km/h.
kilometres) was used by freight trains in two sections,
one between Mollet and Girona Mercaderies, and - Electrification: 2 x 25kV 50Hz AC.
another at Figueres. This meant that December 21, - Signalling: System ERTMS/ETCS Levels 1 and 2
2010 saw the first circulation in Spain of a freight and ASFA.
train on an standard gauge high speed line, which - Mobile radio telecommunications network:
combined standard gauge track with Iberian gauge GSM–R.
by fitting the latter with a third rail.
The Madrid–Barcelona line links up with the - Viaducts: 214. Total length: 55 km.
international section at a new station, Figueres- - Tunnels: 94. Total length: 88 km.
Vilafant. Since December 2010 this station had been - Passenger stations: 9. Madrid Puerta de Atocha,
the passenger transfer station for the Barcelona– Guadalajara–Yebes, Calatayud, Zaragoza–
Paris route, until the direct high speed service was Delicias, Lleida–Pirineus, Camp de Tarragona,
introduced for passengers travelling between the Barcelona–Sants, Girona and Figueres–Vilafant.
two cities on December 15, 2013.
The Madrid–Zaragoza–Barcelona–French - Gauge changers: Two, Plasencia de Jalón and years of Spanish high speed rail
border line forms one of Spain’s main communication Zaragoza.
axes with Europe and provides a high speed

Vía Libre • Special 25th Anniversary of the AVE Edition 17