The Madrid–León high-speed rail line (Spanish language: Línea de Alta Velocidad Madrid - León) was inaugurated on 29 September 2015. 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.
The line was inaugurated in two stages. Its first 179.6 km 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 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.
According to this, the line will be extended to reach the region of Asturias and will connect the cities of Oviedo and Gijón to the high-speed network via the Pajares Base Tunnel (Variante de Pajares).
The line will be connected with the following other HSR (High-speed rail) lines:
Madrid–Galicia high-speed rail line, and this in turn with the Atlantic Axis high-speed rail line
HSR Valladolid - Burgos - Vitoria, and this in turn to the future HSR Logroño-Miranda de Ebro and the HSR Basque Y.
Other high-speed lines departing from Madrid, with the future construction of a third tunnel with wide international routes between Chamartin and Atocha stations.
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 Line or Imperial tunnels through San Pedro, Albacete and Guadarrama, 9 and 28 km respectively. In the section between Valladolid and León the route comprises 78,7 km of double track and two single-track sections totalling 84 km. 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.
(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 (future AV tunnel-Chamartin Atocha)
Inauguration: 22 December 2007 for the section Madrid–Valladolid (entry into service the next day). 29 September 2015 for the section Valladolid–León.
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.
Tender: commissioned by the Government to GIF (today ADIF) in 1998.
Intermediate stations: Segovia Guiomar (kilometre post 68.3), Valladolid, Venta de Baños.
At kilometre post 133.8 there is a junction for the future Madrid–Galicia high-speed rail line, negotiable at up to 220 km/h.
Length 179.6 km Madrid–Valladolid + 162.7 km Valladolid–León
Total length in tunnels 42,1 km
Total length on viaducts 2 km
UIC gauge (1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 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 and Olmedo)
PB 3 (Tres Cantos, Nava, Valdestillas)
Width Changers 3 (Chamartin Valdestillas, Valladolid)
PB = Puesto de Banalización (transition from double to single track?)
PAET = Puesto de Adelantamiento y Estacionamiento de Trenes (passing loop?)
Guadarrama Tunnel (28,377 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)
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.
AVE Chamartin Madrid–Segovia–Valladolid, Campo Grande–Palencia–Léon at 2:13 S-102
AVE Chamartin Madrid–Valladolid, Campo Grande–Palencia–Léon at 2:06 S-102
Avant-Chamartin Madrid-Segovia Guiomar 0:35 nonstop S121
Avant Valladolid to Madrid Chamartin station at 1:10 Segovia Guiomar S121
Alvia Madrid-Chamartin Hendaye Segovia Guiomar
Valladolid-Campo Grande
Burgos
Miranda de Ebro
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Alsasua
San Sebastian
Irun S130 gauge change in Valladolid / Valdestillas
Alvia Bilbao-Madrid-Chamartin Abando Segovia Guiomar
Valladolid-Campo Grande
Burgos S130 gauge change in Valladolid / Valdestillas
Alvia Madrid-Chamartin Santander Segovia Guiomar
Valladolid-Campo Grande
Palencia
Aguilar de Campóo
Reinosa
Torrelavega S130 gauge change in Valladolid / Valdestillas
1 train per day each direction continues its journey to Alicante
Alvia Madrid-Chamartin Gijón-suburban Segovia Guiomar
Valladolid-Campo Grande
Palencia
Sahagun
Léon
Mieres-Puente
Oviedo
Jovellanos Gijón S130-wide change in Valladolid / Valdestillas
1 train per day each direction continues its journey to Alicante
Talgo Madrid-Chamartin La Coruna Segovia Guiomar
Medina del Campo
Zamora
Puebla de Sanabria
The Gudiña
Orense-Joint
Carballiño
Santiago de Compostela Talgo VI gauge change in Valdestillas
Talgo Madrid-Chamartin Pontevedra (*)
Guillarei
Redondela
Vigo Talgo VI (*) circulates together with the branch of La Coruna to Orense
gauge change in Valdestillas
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.
