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High-speed rail in Spain

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AVE trains are operated by Renfe, the national passenger high-speed rail operator in Spain, but other companies such as Ouigo España and Iryo compete on the Madrid–Barcelona and other routes in accordance with the European Union legislation. French TGV services run from the border to Barcelona under the TGV inOui brand. Alvia and Euromed trains are also operated by Renfe and have the ability to use both Iberian gauge and standard gauge lines offering high-speed services across the whole Spanish network.

As of July 2026, the Spanish high-speed rail network is the longest HSR network in Europe with 3,973 km (2,469 mi) and the second longest in the world, after China's.

History

Towards the end of the 1980s a new line was planned to join the Meseta Central with Andalusia without passing through the Despeñaperros pass. After considering various options it was decided that a standard-gauge line, allowing for Spain's first high-speed rail link, would be built. The project was named NAFA (Nuevo Acceso Ferroviario a Andalucía, New Rail Link to Andalusia) and was meant to help revitalise the stagnant southern Spanish economy. The line was inaugurated on 14 April 1992 to coincide with Expo 92 being held in Seville. Seven days later, on 21 April 1992 commercial AVE service began with six daily services stopping at Madrid, Seville, Córdoba, Puertollano and Ciudad Real.

In October 1992 Renfe began the AVE Lanzadera (Shuttle), a high-speed medium-distance service between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Puertollano, using spare class 100 trains.

It has been suggested that the PSOE government chose the French Alstom bid over the Siemens and Talgo bids for political rather than technical reasons, rewarding the French government for its assistance in capturing ETA activists who took sanctuary across the border in southern France. Seville's hosting of the 1992 World's Fair prompted the choice of that city for the inauguration of the first high-speed line, with its being the home town of then Spanish prime minister Felipe González also playing some role. Seville was the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain and the fourth largest city in Spain, after Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, with a population of over 700,000 and a metropolitan area of almost 1.5 million people. It is also the capital of Andalusia, Spain's most populous autonomous community (region).

In January 1993 the Talgo 200 Madrid–Málaga service began, using high-speed lines as far as Córdoba and then the Córdoba–Málaga Spanish-gauge conventional track to reach Málaga. On 23 April that year, an AVE trainset set a new top speed of 356.8 km/h (221.7 mph) on a test run. Later in 1993 the mixed-method services Talgo 200 Madrid–Cádiz and Talgo 200 Madrid–Huelva began.

In 1994 AVE trains on the Madrid–Seville line began to run at 300 km/h, cutting journey times by at least 40 minutes and covering the 471 km in 2+1⁄2 hours, though it is unlikely that much of a saving came from the increase in maximum speed, because only a small section of the line near Los Yébenes has the alignments for 300 km/h operation. The maximum permitted speed is 270 km/h between Atocha station and Brazatortas, save for the approaches to the intermediate stations (Atocha, Ciudad Real and Puertollano). Beyond Brazatortas, the line is only authorised for 250 km/h operation, which drops to 215 km/h in the Sierra Morena mountains and 90 km/h around Córdoba station. It is more likely that time savings occurred as a result of there being fewer intermediate stops.

Although Renfe began a mixed-service Talgo 200 Madrid–Algeciras route in 1999, this was, along with the other mixed services, transferred to Grandes Líneas Renfe (Renfe's Spanish gauge long-distance brand) following changes to plans for high-speed rail in Spain.

In November 2003 a new AVE Lanzadera medium distance service began between Seville and Córdoba using new class 104 trains, reducing journey times between the two cities to 40 minutes. In 2005 the brand was renamed RENFE Avant, and all those services started to use class 104 trains, leaving class 100 for the AVE services.

The construction of a 21-kilometre (13 mi) stretch of high-speed line from Madrid to Toledo allowed the inauguration of a medium-distance service in November 2005. The journey time between the two cities is now less than 30 minutes. The high-speed link, combined with high property prices in Madrid, has encouraged many Madrid commuters to settle in Ciudad Real, the first stop on the Madrid–Seville line. There has, however, been controversy over the construction of this line as the change to standard-gauge track meant that towns such as Getafe, Aranjuez and Algodor, which now have no commercial services, lost their direct services to Toledo. Furthermore, since Toledo is now connected by standard-gauge track it is impossible for other passenger or goods trains to reach it that have not come from other high-speed lines.

The last segment of the Madrid–Málaga high-speed rail line was completed on 23 December 2007 when the new high-speed railway section between the cities of Córdoba and Málaga was inaugurated. It is a standard-gauge railway line of 155 km in length and is designed for speeds of 350 km/h (217 mph). It has compatibility with neighboring countries' railway systems as well. The fastest AVE service between Madrid and Málaga takes 2 hours and 20 minutes. In February 2008 new long-distance AVE services were introduced on the Seville−Barcelona and Málaga−Barcelona routes, as well as a new Avant service on the Málaga−Córdoba−Seville route.

In October 2015 an extension of the Madrid-Seville high-speed rail line to Cádiz was completed after 14 years of works and put in service by Alvia trains for speeds up to 200 km/h. This section is built on Iberian gauge track that if European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) railway signaling is installed in the line, with fewer stops between Seville and Cádiz, the maximum speed for the trains can be raised up to 250 km/h.

In 2019 the Antequera–Granada high-speed rail line opened at a total cost of €1.4 billion.

Madrid–Barcelona

The Madrid–Zaragoza–Barcelona line was inaugurated on 20 February 2008, after parts of the line had operated since 2003 (Madrid–Zaragoza–Lleida) and 2006 (Lleida–Tarragona). This line is currently one of the world's fastest long-distance trains in commercial operation, with non-stop trains covering the 621 km (386 mi) between the two cities in just 2 hours 30 minutes, and those calling at all stations in 3 hours 10 minutes. The line includes a spur railway that branches off at Zaragoza towards Huesca in north Aragon. The Madrid–Huesca high-speed rail line was inaugurated in 2005 and put in AVE service in September that year. In April 2008 the Avant service on the Barcelona−Camp de Tarragona−Lleida route was introduced. It was originally planned that in 2012 high-speed services would link Madrid and Barcelona with Paris-Gare de Lyon and later perhaps London St Pancras (using the Eurotunnel and the HS1 line).

The line currently terminates at Barcelona Sants railway station, but a new station is under construction at La Sagrera on the northern edge of the city. The Sants–La Sagrera tunnel links the Barcelona Sants station in Barcelona with the future Sagrera station through the Eixample district. The tunnel passes under and along the streets of Provença and Mallorca, while uses a short part under Diagonal avenue to link between these two streets. In the Carrer de Mallorca street, the tunnel passes directly in front of Gaudí's masterpiece, the basilica of the Sagrada Família, and in the Carrer de Provença street, near another Gaudí's architectural work, the Casa Milà. In a long campaign against this route, the Board of the Sagrada Família and other parties argued that the tunnel would damage the church, whose construction is still in progress. In this discussion about different possible routes, the one now built is also called the Provença tunnel because part of its route passes under the street of the same name.

The tunnel boring machine Barcino passed the Sagrada Família in October 2010, and reached its final destination a few months later. In March 2012, railway equipment was installed, with a special elastic isolation of the rails in order to dampen vibrations at the sections passing close to Gaudí's architectural works, using the Edilon system. Rail traffic was planned to start in 2012, initially without stops at the La Sagrera station, which was expected to be completed in 2016. The Sants–La Sagrera tunnel was finally inaugurated on 8 January 2013 along with the Perpignan–Barcelona high-speed rail line while commercial services via the tunnel towards France begun on the following day. However, works on the La Sagrera station were suspended in early 2014 due to a corruption scandal involving one of the companies carrying out the works. Construction works at the station were finally resumed in 2018 and the new AVE station is now expected to open to services by the end of 2026, although AVE trains have been passing through the station since the end of 2024.

Northern corridors

The first installment of a high-speed rail corridor in the north and north-west of Spain was the 179.6 km section Madrid–Segovia–Valladolid which was put in operation on 22 December 2007. It includes a tunnel of 28 kilometres (17 mi) at Guadarrama, which is the fourth longest train tunnel in Europe. Valladolid will become the hub for all AVE services connecting the north and north-west of Spain with the rest of the country.

Construction of the extension of the line towards the region of Asturias started in 2009 (except for Pajares Base Tunnel (variante de pajares) which started in 2003) and reached the city of Leon in 2015 with the inauguration of the 162.7 km Valladolid–Venta de Baños–Leon section on 29 September 2015. On 29 November 2023 the section Leon-La Robla-Pola de Lena was inaugurated after 20 years of works. On 21 May 2024 Renfe replaced the Madrid–Gijón and Castellón/Vinaros–Gijón Alvia services by AVE services on the first AVE gauge-changing Class 106 trains, able to operate at a max speed of 330 km/h or 205 mph with reduced journey times by 12 minutes between Madrid and Oviedo, and by 10 minutes between Madrid and Gijón.

On 24 April 2010, it was announced a 55 km high-speed spur would leave the Madrid–Valladolid route at Segovia and continue to Ávila. Initial plans were expected to be complete by the end of 2010, but as of 2024 this line remains in planning.

On 21 July 2022 a new 86.5 km section between Venta de Baños and Burgos was inaugurated after 13 years of works at an investment cost of 759 million euros and introduced a new AVE Madrid-Burgos service that cuts the journey time between the two cities down to just over an hour and a half. This section is the first expansion of the high-speed network to the north-northeast towards the Spanish region of the Basque Country and the future Basque high-speed railway line (Basque Y). It includes 2 tunnels and 12 viaducts; the longest of them passes over the Pisuerga river and Autovía A-62 highway.

In the north-west of Spain, the Madrid–Galicia high-speed rail line was completed on 21 December 2021 after 20 years of works when the Olmedo–Zamora–Santiago de Compostela section was finished. This line is connected to the Madrid–Asturias high-speed rail line at Olmedo south of Valladolid.

Construction on the 87.1 km northernmost part of this section between the cities of Ourense and Santiago de Compostela began in late 2004 and this part was inaugurated in December 2011. It was put in service along with the Santiago de Compostela–A Coruña section that was inaugurated in parallel. Since December 2011 the Avant service operates on the route Ourense–Santiago de Compostela–A Coruña by using S-121 trains and this is the first high-speed service offered by Renfe in the region of Galicia. The 107 km southern section, between Olmedo (130 km north of Madrid on the Madrid–Asturias line) and Zamora entered revenue service on 17 December 2015 by Alvia trains. The 110 km new built section in the middle between Zamora and Otero de Sanabria near the town of Puebla de Sanabria was put in service on 26 October 2020, while the 119.4 km last remaining part between Puebla de Sanabria and Ourense which crosses some of Spain's most remote and fragile nature areas, was completed in end 2021. Up to that date the entire line was served by Alvia S-730 (Patito, max speed 250 km/h (155 mph)) trains.

This line is linked in the region of Galicia to the 156 km Atlantic Axis high-speed rail line that connects the cities of Vigo and A Coruña via Santiago de Compostela. It is a new built Iberian gauge high-speed line designed for speeds up to 250 km/h and is due to be converted to standard gauge in the future. The Atlantic Axis was inaugurated in April 2015 while the section A Coruña–Santiago de Compostela opened in 2009 and was electrified in 2011. The new railway shortened the distance between the two cities by 22 km, from 178 km to 156 km, and cut the travel time from around 3 hours on the old railway down to 1 hour and 20 minutes on the new one. 37 tunnels totalling 59 km and 34 bridges totalling 15 km form part of the rebuilt railway.

Since 21 May 2024 AVE Madrid–Vigo and Madrid–La Coruña services on gauge-changing Class 106 trains are offered with reduced journey times by 18 minutes between Madrid and Santiago de Compostela and by 16 minutes between Madrid and Vigo compared to the previously Alvia services.

In June 2025, monthly rail transport between Galicia and Madrid surpassed air transport in passenger numbers for the first time (181,588 passengers by train versus 155,715 by plane, compared to 20,000 versus 180,000 respectively in 2011).

Eastern corridors

The Madrid–Levante network connects Madrid with the Mediterranean coast of the Levante Region (Eastern Spain). The Madrid–Cuenca–Valencia line was officially finished on Friday, 10 December 2010, with commercial trips starting on Saturday 18 December 2010. Five days later, on 15 December 2010, the inauguration of the Cuenca–Albacete branch took place. Those two lines form the first sections of the Madrid–Levante high-speed rail network. Since then non-stop AVE trains between Madrid and Valencia cover the 391 km (243 mi) in 1 hour 38 minutes.

In June 2011, Renfe announced they would suppress the three daily high-speed trains between Toledo, Cuenca and Albacete because of lack of passengers despite an investment of 3.5 billion euros (this figure includes the full Madrid–Levante railway network construction costs, with its later extensions to Alicante and Murcia). Some media stated that the average number of daily passengers was 9 between Toledo and Albacete and 6 between Toledo and Cuenca while the daily cost was 18,000 euros, while official figures gave us an average of 403–464 daily passengers. Those trains ran over existing high speed lines (the lines to Toledo, Seville and Valencia) and so services to those cities remain open, but passengers traveling between Toledo and other destinations had to change trains at Madrid. However, in 2022, as the Madrid–Cuenca–Valencia conventional railway was closed, direct high-speed trains between Toledo, Cuenca and Albacete have been reinstated, this time operated as Avant services, catering better to the needs of passengers than the AVE trains that operated since 2011.

The Madrid–Albacete–Alicante line was inaugurated on 18 June 2013. Trains cover the distance between Madrid and Alicante in 2 hours 12 minutes. In the same year the Avant service between Requena-Utiel and Valencia was introduced.

On 22 January 2018 the extension section of the line to Castellón was inaugurated, introducing a new AVE service, Madrid-Castellón, which cut the journey time between the two cities by an additional 30 minutes for a total of 2 hours and 25 minutes.

The first stretch of the AVE service from Madrid to Murcia was inaugurated on 1 February 2021, linking Monforte del Cid, Elche and Orihuela, while the continuation up to Murcia put in service on 20 December 2022. Work is being prepared to extend the line to Cartagena. When fully operational the Madrid–Levante network will total 955 km of high-speed rail connecting Madrid, Cuenca, Albacete, Valencia, Alicante, Elche, Castellón, Murcia and Cartagena.

International connection with France

An important milestone for the Spanish high-speed network was reached in December 2013 when it was connected to the rest of Europe via France. The connecting link was the construction of the 131-kilometre (81.4 mi) Barcelona–Figueres section of the Perpignan–Barcelona high-speed line, an extension of the Madrid–Barcelona line, completed in January 2013 at a cost of €3.7 billion. The international 44.5-kilometre (27.7 mi) Perpignan–Figueres section of the line opened in December 2010 and includes the new 8.3-kilometre (5.2 mi) Perthus Tunnel under the Pyrenees.

The high-speed Barcelona–Figueres section (from Barcelona to the French border) was officially inaugurated on 7 January 2013. Since then AVE services connect Madrid directly to Girona and Figueres via Barcelona and Avant services are offered on the Barcelona–Girona–Figueres route. The journey from the centre of Barcelona to the centre of Girona takes now 37 minutes (compared to the previous 90 minutes), and to Figueres in 53 minutes (instead of two hours). Girona and Figueres are now 14 minutes from each other.

In December 2013 the first international high-speed services between Spanish and French cities were introduced by Renfe and SNCF. One previously non-high-speed section on the French side, between Montpellier and Nîmes, opened in July 2018, allowing almost continuous high-speed travel from the French high-speed network to the Spanish one. The French government, on the other hand, later announced indefinite delays to the Montpellier-Perpignan high speed section that was originally planned for 2020.

Madrid interconnector

On 24 April 2010, tunnelling started on the 7.3 km route connecting the 2 main stations in Madrid, Madrid Atocha and Madrid Chamartín. Electrification works for the line along with line duplication works in the section between Atocha and Torrejón de Velasco started in 2017 and these works were expected to be completed in early 2018 and the line was hoped to open for commercial service for AVE trains within the same year. A later announcement postponed the opening for the second half of 2020. However, delays in the schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic postponed it further. In November 2021, the inauguration of the interconnector was projected to the first trimester of 2022. Test runs were being conducted in early February 2022, and the line was expected to be ready for permit application in early March. The tunnel finally opened on July 1, 2022.

Before this all trains going towards Valladolid left from Chamartín and trains going to Seville, Málaga, Valencia, Alicante and Barcelona left from Atocha station. Also, there is a single daily service in each direction running along the Barcelona–Seville, Barcelona–Málaga, and Barcelona-Granada routes, which uses the high-speed bypass around Madrid to avoid reversing the direction of train in Atocha station. The tunnel now allows services serving northern cities to travel non-stop or with a stop through Madrid and onward to southern cities (or vice versa), without the driver having to change ends or bypass Madrid, a valuable source of passengers. Previously someone wanting to travel from Valladolid to Alicante, for instance, had to travel from Valladolid Campo Grande station to Madrid Chamartín station before taking a Cercanías service to Atocha; then finally taking an onward train to Alicante.

Incidents and accidents

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