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Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ⁄2 in) | ||
The Madrid–Galicia high-speed rail line is a high-speed railway line partially open in Spain that will link the city of Madrid with the region of Galicia via the cities of Olmedo, Zamora and Santiago de Compostela when completed. The line will also connect the Atlantic Axis high-speed rail line to the rest of the Spanish AVE high-speed network. The Madrid–Galicia high-speed rail line is being constructed as double electrified line and is designed for trains running at speeds up to 350 kilometres per hour (220 mph).
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History
The line shares the same railway for the section between Madrid and Olmedo with the Madrid–Leon high-speed rail line. This part was inaugurated on 23 December 2007 along with the entire section Madrid–Segovia–Valladolid. Construction on the section between Ourense and Santiago de Compostela started in 2004 and the 87.1 km part was completed and connected with the Atlantic Axis high-speed rail line in Santiago de Compostela on 10 December 2011. This part of the line has a track gauge of 1,668 mm (5 ft 5 21⁄32 in) Iberian gauge, which is due to be converted to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge later. As of November 2015, trains in Alvia commercial service use this part on routes between Galicia and other Spanish regions.
In July 2015 it was announced that the traction power supply for the Olmedo-Pedralba de la Pradería (near Puebla de Sanabria) section would be switched on on 7 August 2015. The 99 km southern section, between Olmedo (130 km north of Madrid on the Madrid–Leon line) and Zamora entered revenue service on 17 December 2015 and initially served by Alvia trains. In January 2017 it was announced that the boring of the Bolaños tunnels along the Verín - Ourense section of the line was completed. The central part, which crosses some of Spain's most remote and fragile natural areas, is expected to open in 2018.
Incidents
In July 2013, an S730 train derailed in a non-AVE stretch near the Santiago de Compostela station.