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Madrid–Asturias high-speed rail line

Coordinates: 40°59′53″N 4°17′21″W / 40.9981°N 4.2891°W / 40.9981; -4.2891
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Madrid–Asturias high-speed line
Rail lab (ADIF series 330) in El Goloso (Madrid) heading towards Colmenar Viejo eleven days before the opening of the line.
Overview
Native nameLínea de Alta Velocidad Madrid - Asturias
Statusoperational
LocaleSpain
Termini
Stations5
Service
Typehigh-speed rail
Ridership4.1 million (2017-8)[1]
History
Opened29 September 2015; 9 years ago (2015-09-29)
Technical
Line length342.3 km (212.7 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz AC
Operating speed350 km/h (220 mph)
Route map

km
length
in m
Conventional line to/from Gijón
Pola de Lena
Conventional line to/from León
Tunnel Vega de Ciego
2,460
Gauge changer Campomanes
Tunnel Pontones
5,935
24,600
Conventional line León-Asturias
Río Bernesga
Conventional line León-Asturias
La Robla
Conventional line to/from Asturias
line León-La Robla in modernization
Gauge changer (provisional)
345.45
León
Conventional lines to La Coruña and Palencia
Autovía LE-20.svg LE-20 (Avenida de Portugal)
LE-11
Torneros Bridge
581
Palencia-La Coruña line
606
Río Esla
660
Canal de la margen
izquierda del Porma
63
152
Arroyo de Valdearcos
86
Canal del Porma
136
152
Cajetín N-601.svg N-601
& Cañada Real
Leonesa Oc.
168
Santas Martas crossover
Valle de la Utielga
315
Valle de la Granja
315
Arroyo del Olmo
167
152
Arroyo del Coso
116
442
Arroyo del Valle
Río Cea
116
Río Valderaduey
82
Palencia-La Coruña line
53
276.5
Villada maintenance center
Río Sequillo
90
Río de la Huerga
185
Río Valdeguinate
85
Río Retortillo
248
Palencia-La Coruña line
130
Paredes de Nava crossover
Canal de Castilla
Ramal de Campos
116
Canal de Castilla Ramal Sur
110
230.6
Palencia
to
Venta de Baños-
Burgos-Vitoria AVE
Cerrato Tunnel
500
120
138
Madrid-Hendaya line
266
to
Venta de Baños-
Burgos-Vitoria AVE
217.5
Venta de Baños
Río Pisuerga
610
Charcón bridge
130
Arroyo Cevico
250
208.4
Dueñas crossover
Arroyo Madrazo
50
Peña Rayada Tunnel
2,000
Río Pisuerga
1,366
Acequia de Santovenia
74
Madrid-Hendaya line
181.9
↑ Valladolid-León section
181.2
La Pilarica level crossing
180.2
179.6
Valladolid-Campo Grande
173.1
Pinar de Antequera
level crossing
1,000
168.0
Río Duero
Gauge changer
Madrid-Irun line
159.6
Valdestillas
↑ single track
↓ double track
144.0
Madrid-Irun line
to Olmedo-Zamora-Galicia
 
133.0
Olmedo
106.6
97.1
94.4
Tabladillo Tunnel
2,000
86.0
Garcillán
72.5
70.7
Puentecilla Tunnel
1,900
Villa line
68.3
Segovia-Guiomar
66.2
37.5
Guadarrama Tunnels
28,377
35.5
Miraflores de la Sierra
Madrid-Burgos line
32.9
Arroyo Valley viaduct
1,796
32.1
23.2
Hill of San Pedro Tunnels
8,930
Madrid-Burgos line
18.9
crossover Tres Cantos
Madrid–Hendaye line
& Madrid-Burgos line
Madrid-Alcobendas/San
Sebastián de los Reyes line
Fuencarral maintenance center
Hortaleza-Pitis link
Hortaleza-Chamartin link
0.50
Madrid Chamartín
0.0
km
length
in m
Key
standard gauge
Iberian gauge

The Madrid–Asturias high-speed rail line (Spanish language: Línea de Alta Velocidad Madrid - Asturias) connects the city of Madrid with the autonomous community of Asturias and was inaugurated on 29 November 2023.[2] The line is built to standard gauge and gauge changers are provided at strategic points to allow interchange with older Spanish railways which were built to Iberian gauge.

History

[edit]

The line was inaugurated in three stages.

Its first 179.6 km (111.6 mi) section Madrid - Segovia - Valladolid opened for commercial service on 23 December 2007 and is the first instalment of a high-speed rail corridor in the north and northwest of Spain. AVE services reduced journey times between Madrid and Valladolid from 2½ hours to 56 minutes at an average speed of 192 kilometres per hour (119 mph).

The second 162.7 km (101.1 mi) section Valladolid-Venta de Baños-León opened on 29 September 2015 and was built at a cost of €1,62bn for operation at up to 350 km/h. Since then the journey time between Madrid and León was cut by 44 min to 2 h 6 min on AVE trains.[3]

In September 2021 the first test runs started through Pajares Base Tunnel (Variante de Pajares) in the railway between La Robla and Campomanes.[4] The third section between León and Pola de Lena via the Pajares Base Tunnel was inaugurated on 29 November 2023 after 20 years of works and an investment of €4,00bn only for the 50 km (31 mi) section between La Robla and Pola de Lena. The entire line put in commercial service on 30 November 2023, initially by Alvia trains connecting Madrid and rest of Spanish High-speed network to Asturias up to the city of Gijón.[2][5][6]

Features

[edit]

This line is constructed for trains running at up to 350 kilometres per hour (220 mph). ERTMS type II signaling and ASFA digital diversion clearance of 220 kilometres per hour (140 mph) and a reduction of over 70 kilometres (43 mi) (28%) compared to the general layout of the Northern or Imperial Line, due to the tunnels of San Pedro and Guadarrama through Sierra de Guadarrama, 9 and 28.4 km (5.6 and 17.6 mi) respectively. The Guadarrama tunnel, is the longest railway tunnel in Spain and the fifth longest railway tunnel in the world and trains can travel through the tunnel at a maximum speed of 310 kilometres per hour (190 mph).[7]

In the section between Valladolid and León the route comprises 78.7 km (48.9 mi) of double track and two single-track sections totalling 84 km (52 mi). Gauge changers are installed at Chamartin Valdestillas, Valladolid, León and Villamuriel south of Palencia and this has reduced travel times on all routes between Madrid and Spain's north-northwest.[8]

The 20.2 kilometres (12.6 mi) section between León and La Robla remains in conventional Iberian gauge line for a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph), that is due to be modernized to high-speed standards along with an additional standard gauge track by end 2024.[9][10]

The 49.7 kilometres (30.9 mi) section between La Robla and Pola de Lena is a double electrified track for maximum speeds of 275 kilometres per hour (171 mph). 80% of this section consists of tunnels of a total length of 40 kilometres (25 mi), including the 25 kilometres (16 mi) long Pajares Base Tunnel, the seventh longest railway tunnel in Europe that runs under a very mountainous area between the Province of León and the Principality of Asturias.[2][11]

The line further connects the cities of Oviedo and Gijón in the Spanish region of Asturias via conventional line to the high-speed network.

The line is connected with the following other HSR (High-speed rail) lines:

Route

[edit]
Madrid–Asturias high-speed line in red

(The figures indicate kilometres from Madrid)

  • Gauge changer
  • 345.450 León AV (166,141 km from Valladolid Campo Grande)
  • 344.277 Junction Estadio Municipal
  • 343.879 Classification changer
  • 339.527 Vilecha changer
  • 338.245 Junction Vilecha
  • 320.332 PCA Luengos
  • 297.591 Junction Las Arenas
  • 276.537 Villada AV maintenance center
  • 259.999 Junction Las Barreras
  • 244.212 PCA Becerril
  • 231.315 Level crossing Los Tres Pasos
  • 230.627 Palencia
  • 224.754 Villamuriel changer
  • 223.530 Junction Cerrato AV
  • 222.699 Desvío 10 of the Junction Cerrato
  • 217.578 Junction Venta de Baños AV
  • 208.447 Crossover Dueñas AV
  • 198.097 PCA Valoria
  • 187.360 Junction Las Pajareras
  • 186.283 Junction Canal del Duero
  • 181.241 Level crossing La Pilarica
  • 179.6 Valladolid-Campo Grande
  • 173.1 Level crossing (Pinar de Antequera)
  • 168.0 Rio Duero
  • conventional line Madrid-Irun (Gauge changer)
  • 159.6 Valdestillas / Transition double track to single track
  • 144.0 Conventional Line Madrid-Irun
  • Future link L.A.V. Olmedo-Zamora-Galicia (in draft)
  • Link L.A.V. Olmedo-Zamora-Galicia
  • Intersection with N-601
  • 133.0 Olmedo
  • 106.6 Nava de la Asunción
  • 97.1 to 94.4 Tabladillo Tunnel
  • 86.0 Garcillán
  • 72.5 to 70.7 Puentecilla Tunnel
  • Conventional Line Intersection with Villa
  • 68.3 Segovia Guiomar
  • 66.2 to 37.5 Guadarrama Tunnels
  • 35.5 Soto del Real
  • Junction with conventional line Madrid-Burgos
  • 32.9 Arroyo Valley Viaduct
  • 32.1 to 23.2 tunnels of Cerro de San Pedro
  • Junction with conventional line Madrid-Burgos
  • 18.9 Trivialization Post Tres Cantos
  • Junction with conventional line Madrid-Burgos
  • Line Conv. Madrid-Alcobendas/S.S. de los Reyes
  • Fuencarral maintenance center
  • Intersection with link-Hortaleza Pitis
  • Intersection with link-Hortaleza Chamartin
  • Link to Chamartin Iberian gauge (width changer)
  • Madrid-Chamartin 0.50
  • End of Line (AV tunnel Chamartin-Atocha)

Key facts

[edit]
  • Inauguration: 22 December 2007 for the section Madrid–Valladolid (entry into service on the next day). 29 September 2015 for the section Valladolid–León. 29 November 2023 for the section León–Pola de Lena (entry into service on the next day).[2]
  • Approximate cost: 4,205 million euro for the section Madrid–Valladolid (about 700 M € are for the reform of the RAF of Valladolid). 1,620 million euro for the section Valladolid–León. 4,205 million euro for the section Robla–Pola de Lena.[2]
  • Tender: commissioned by the Government to GIF (today ADIF) in 1998.
  • Intermediate stations: Segovia Guiomar (kilometre post 68.3), Valladolid, Venta de Baños, Palencia and León.
  • At kilometre post 133.8 there is a junction for the 2021-completed Madrid–Galicia high-speed rail line, negotiable at up to 220 km/h.

Technical details

[edit]
  • Length 179.6 km Madrid–Valladolid + 162.7 km Valladolid–León + 20.2 km León–Robla[9] + 50 km Robla–Pola de Lena.[2]
  • Total length in tunnels 42,1 km + 40 km in the section Robla–Pola de Lena.[2]
  • Total length on viaducts 2 km + 1,8 km in the section Robla–Pola de Lena.[2]
  • UIC gauge (1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in))
  • Electrification 25 kV 50 Hz AC
  • Maximum speed 350 km/h
  • Digital Signage ASFA and ERTMS II
  • Platform width 16 m
  • PAET 3 (Soto del Real, Garcillán, Olmedo, Campomanes and La Robla)
  • PB 3 (Tres Cantos, Nava, Valdestillas)
  • Gauge Changers 5 (Madrid Chamartin, Valdestillas, Valladolid, León and Campomanes)

PB = Puesto de Banalización (transition from double to single track?)
PAET = Puesto de Adelantamiento y Estacionamiento de Trenes (passing loop?)

Special projects

[edit]
The entrance to the San Pedro tunnels
  • Guadarrama Tunnel (28,377 m)
  • Pajares Base Tunnel (25,000 m)
  • Tunnels of San Pedro (8,930 m)
  • Arroyo Valley Viaduct (1,796 m, maximum height 77.8 m)
  • Tabladillo tunnel (2 km)
  • Puentecilla Tunnel (1900 m)
  • Tunel del Pinar de Antequera (1 km) (opening 8 November 2009)

Reduced travel times

[edit]

Talgo trains were replaced by Alvia trains (RENFE Class 130) and these operate on both the high-speed line and the older lines.

These trains pass through the gauge changers at Valladolid and Valdestillas or to join the General Line North from this high speed line and back by reducing their travel time by reducing the distance and increasing the commercial speed in the stretch Madrid–Valladolid.

The Talgo Madrid-Galicia was diverted later by LAV circulating until Valdestillas changer, which reverses the direction of travel and change of locomotive. In this case the time reduction has been lower, only 15-20 min, while in the Galicia-Madrid train has been an advantage to using the best line to be able to recover the backlog.

Madrid to Previous train Time Distance (km) Average speed (km/h) Current train Time Distance (km) Average speed (km/h) Reduction
Burgos Talgo 3:22 282 83.76 Alvia 2:20 301 129 1:02
Gijón Talgo 6:15 591 94.56 Alvia 5:05 521 102.49 1:10
Irun Intercity 6:50 640 93.66 Alvia 5:44 570 99.42 1:06
León Talgo 3:50 420 109.57 Alvia 2:46 350 126.51 1:04
Miranda de Ebro Talgo 4:26 371 83.68 Alvia 3:19 390 117.59 1:07
Oviedo Talgo 5:43 559 97.78 Alvia 4:36 489 106.30 1:07
Palencia Talgo 2:50 298 105.18 Alvia 1:44 228 131.54 1:06
San Sebastian Intercity 6:25 623 97.09 Alvia 5:20 553 103.69 1:05
Santander Talgo 5:35 515 92.24 Alvia 4:27 445 100 1:08
Segovia Regional 2:03 101 49.27 AVE 0:35 68 136 1:33
Valladolid Talgo 2:23 249 104.48 AVE 0:56 179 191.79 1:27
Vitoria Intercity 4:39 493 106.02 Alvia 3:41 423 114.84 0:58

Services that use these lines

[edit]
A northbound AVE-S 102 train crosses the Arroyo del Valle Viaduct soon after the line opened
  • AVE Madrid-Chamartin–León via Segovia, Valladolid and Palencia on S-102.
  • AVE Madrid-Chamartin–Gijón via Valladolid, Palencia, León and Oviedo on S-106.
  • AVE Madrid-Chamartin–A Coruña, via Zamora, Ourense and Santiago de Compostela on S-106.
  • AVE Madrid-Chamartin–Vigo, via Zamora, Sanabria, A Gudiña, Ourense, Santiago de Compostela, Vilagarcia De Arousa and Pontevedra on S-106.
  • AVE Alicante–León via Albacete, Cuenca, Madrid-Chamartín, Valladolid and Palencia.
  • AVE Alicante–Ourense via Albacete, Cuenca, Madrid Chamartín and Zamora.
  • AVE Valencia–León via Madrid-Chamartín, Valladolid and Palencia.
  • AVE Valencia–Burgos via Requena Utiel, Cuenca Fernando Zóbel, Madrid-Chamartin and Valladolid on S-112.
  • AVE Gijón–Castellón via Oviedo, Mieres Del Camín, La Pola, León, Palencia, Valladolid, Segovia, Madrid-Chamartín, Cuenca, Valencia and Sagunto on S-106.
  • AVE Gijón–Vinaros, via Oviedo, Mieres Del Camín, La Pola, León, Palencia, Valladolid, Segovia, Madrid-Chamartín, Cuenca, Valencia, Sagunto, Castellón, Benicàssim, Oropesa del Mar and Benicarló on S-106 (only in summertime).
  • Avlo Madrid Chamartín–Gijón via Valladolid, Palencia, León, La Pola, Mieres Del Camín and Oviedo on S-106.
  • Avlo Madrid-Chamartin–A Coruña, via Segovia, Medina del Campo, Zamora, Sanabria, A Gudiña, Ourense and Santiago de Compostela on S-106.
  • Avlo Madrid-Chamartin–Vigo, via Segovia, Medina del Campo, Zamora, Sanabria, A Gudiña, Ourense, Santiago de Compostela and Pontevedra on S-106.
  • Avlo Murcia–Valladolid via Orihuela, Elche, Alicante, Villena, Albacete, Cuenca and Madrid Chamartín on S-106.
  • Avant Madrid-Chamartin–Segovia Guiomar nonstop on S121.
  • Avant Madrid-Chamartin–Valladolid via Segovia Guiomar on S121.
  • Alvia Madrid-Chamartin–Avilés, via Palencia, León, Mieres Del Camín and Oviedo.
  • Alvia Madrid-Chamartin–Irun/Hendaye via Segovia Guiomar, Valladolid, Burgos Rosa Manzano, Miranda De Ebro, Vitoria/Gasteiz, Zumarraga and San Sebastián/Donostia on S-130
  • Alvia Alicante–Gijón via Madrid-Chamartin, Valladolid, Palencia, Léon, Pola de Lena, Mieres and Oviedo on S-130.
  • IC Madrid-Chamartin–Gijón via Léon and Oviedo on S-121[6]
  • Alvia Madrid-Chamartin–Bilbao, via Segovia Guiomar, Valladolid, Burgos and Miranda de Ebro.
  • Alvia Madrid-Chamartin–Santander, via Valladolid, Palencia, Aguilar De Campoo, Reinosa and Torrelavega on S-130.
  • Alvia Alicante–Santander, via Villena, Albacete, Cuenca, Madrid, Segovia, Valladolid, Palencia and Torrelavega.
  • Alvia Madrid-Chamartin–Vigo, via Segovia, Medina del Campo, Zamora, Sanabria, A Gudiña, Ourense and Pontevedra.
  • Alvia Madrid-Chamartin–Lugo, via Segovia, Medina del Campo, Zamora, Sanabria, A Gudiña, Ourense, Monforte De Lemos and Sarria.
  • Alvia Madrid-Chamartin–Pontevedra, via Zamora, Sanabria, A Gudiña, Ourense, Santiago de Compostela and Vilagarcia De Arousa.
    • Some schedules continue to Ferrol with additional stops in Segovia and Medina del Campo.
  • Alvia Madrid-Chamartin–Santiago de Compostela, via Zamora, Sanabria, A Gudiña and Ourense.
  • Alvia Madrid-Chamartin–Salamanca, via Segovia and Medina del Campo.

Speed

[edit]

The maximum permissible speed in line with ERTMS II in service are shown below. Note that trains are permitted to move at a maximum of 300 kilometres per hour (190 mph) over 147 kilometres (91 mi) of the line.

end km home km km/h
0.800 1.402 110
1.402 1.440 35
1.440 1.884 65
1.884 6.071 110
6.071 6.513 105
6.513 8.300 110
8.300 12.400 165
12.400 14.600 200
14.600 21.000 270
21.000 168.700 300
168.700 170.358 200
170.358 171.807 180
171.807 172.600 200
172.600 173.081 160
173.081 173.091 100
173.091 177.752 160
177.752 177.827 150
177.827 178.100 160
178.100 179.300 50
179.309 179.840 40
179.840 181.241 60
181.241 182.752 120
182.752 186.621 160
186.621 217.578 200
217.578 222.651 190
222.651 223.537 150
223.537 224.605 110
224.605 230.200 80
230.200 231.398 50
231.398 232.615 80
232.615 234.349 85
234.349 235.230 125
235.230 237.946 160
237.946 338.900 200
338.900 340.673 160
340.673 343.123 130
343.123 344.086 100
344.086 344.904 60
344.904 345.450 35

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "El AVE Madrid-Valladolid-León suma cuatro millones de viajeros en un año". Diario de Valladolid (in Spanish). 15 October 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "La alta velocidad llega a Asturias - Óscar Puente defiende que la Variante de Pajares supone un avance trascendental para la igualdad de oportunidades y la transformación económica de Asturias" (in Spanish). www.mitma.gob.es. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Spain to open first single-track high-speed line". www.railjournal.com. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  4. ^ "La Variante de Pajares estrena trenes AVE en pruebas tras casi dos décadas de obras y 2.300 millones de sobrecoste". www.eldiario.es. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  5. ^ "High Speed Lines León — Asturias high speed line". ADIF. Archived from the original on 23 September 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
  6. ^ a b "Renfe pondrá a la venta el 2 de noviembre los nuevos billetes Asturias-Madrid, con una oferta de lanzamiento a partir de 18 euros". Renfe. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Guadarrama Rail Tunnel". railway-technology.com. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  8. ^ "New AVE high speed train service to Palencia and León opens". Railway Gazette. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  9. ^ a b Muñiz, Ramón (9 January 2023). "Las obras para culminar la alta velocidad entre León y Asturias necesitarán al menos otros dos años" (in Spanish). www.leonoticias.com. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  10. ^ Muñiz, Ramón (6 September 2022). "León-La Robla: Transportes calcula que los trenes llegarán a los 250 kilómetros por hora dentro de la variante" (in Spanish). www.elcomercio.es. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  11. ^ "High Speed Lines Leon — Asturias high speed line". ADIF. Archived from the original on 23 September 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2010.

40°59′53″N 4°17′21″W / 40.9981°N 4.2891°W / 40.9981; -4.2891