Page 242 - 360.revista de Alta Velocidad - Nº 6

Miralles i Garcia, José Luis

1. Introduction

High-speed railway (HSR) services began in Spain 25 years ago. Really, in 1987, the Rail Transport
Plan to improve conventional train services and its railway network was approved. However,
few years after, government decided put off the plan and execute the first High-Speed line (AVE
services in Spanish) between Madrid and Seville, which opened in the Universal Exposition of
Seville in 1992. This service have speed about 300-350 km/h and begin in Spain the new railway
network with UIC gauge. Investment in this infrastructure consumed all planned budget for
conventional rail plan. Train Station in Madrid for High-Speed was located in Atocha Station in
city centre.

Table 1. Network railway high-speed evolution in Spain. Origin: ADIF and VIA LIBRE.

HS
Services start %
date Strech HST Rail line length railway
(km)
1992, April Madrid-Sevilla Madrid - Sevilla 477,8 3,86

2003, October Madrid-Zaragoza-Lleida Madrid - Barcelona - France 1025,8 7,93
2005, November Madrid-Toledo Madrid - Sevilla 1049,9 8,17

2006, December Lleida-Camp de Tarragona Madrid - Barcelona - France 1253,2 9,57
2006, December Córdoba-Antequera Córdoba - Málaga 1253,2 9,57
2007, December Madrid-Valladolid Madrid - ValladolidGalicia 1492,5 11,18

2007, December Antequera-Málaga Córdoba - Málaga 1492,5 11,18
Camp de Tarragona-
2008, February Barcelona Madrid - Barcelona - France 1600,5 11,89
Mollet-Girona &Figueres-
2010, December Pertús Madrid - Barcelona - France 2135,7 15,25
Madrid-Cuenca-Albacete-
2010, December Madrid - Valencia - Murcia 2135,7 15,25
Valencia
2011, December Ourense-Santiago-A Coruña Atlantic Axis 2225,4 15,78
2013, January Barcelona–Figueres,complet Madrid – Barcelona – France 2444,1 17,32

2013, June Albacete-Alacant Madrid - Valencia - Murcia 2444,1 17,32

Progressively, according to reports of ADIF and VIA LIBRE, the new railroad network increase
accord table 1. As the high-speed network has expanded also increased passenger network
as you can see in table 2. In figure 1, you can see the HSR network in Spain in 2015. In this
date, HSR services also started to the cities of Zamora (December 2015), Palencia and Leon
(September 2015 both). Note you that the number of passengers is low in relation to the length
of high speed lines built. According Albalate & Bel (2012; 2015), the length of Spanish high-
speed rail network is more extensive than the networks of France, Germany or Japan but with
a relationship km of network par inhabitant very high.
The fact that the historical rail network having a width different from the general European
gauge has conditioned much decision making (Miralles, 2017). In general, instead of prioritizing
the transformation of conventional lines with more passenger traffic, successive governments
opted for an extensive transformation of the entire network to serve the greatest number of
cities by passenger services with origin in Madrid (Bel, 2010).

240 360.revista de alta velocidad