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when they urge Spanish Government to build Mediterranean Railway Corridor. When a Spanish
countryman argues: “This situation occurs in a country with the second-longest High Speed
network in the world, 80% of which is useless.” [11] so should every Spanish railway expert this
statement making thinking even if he disagrees with this opinion.
In the author’s opinion upgrading of Madrid - Sevilla high speed line to a speed of 300 km/h gains
highest priority concerning the development of Spanish High Speed network. The introduction of
a strict regular service belongs together with this step as described.
After this the introduction of a strict regular on all AVE lines gets highest priority. This important
goal shall finally be demonstrated by the train diagram of the Madrid - Barcelona high speed line,
see figure 16. Zaragoza Delicitas could become an important interchange station in the Spanish
network, where train from direction and reverse direction meet each other every two hours at
minute “0”. Someone should imagine that also the trains in the classic network from Huesca
and Logroño or even Teruel could arrive every two hours about minute /.50 o’clock and leave
the station about minute /.10 o’clock. By such a timetable scheduling optimal connections in all
possible directions in the interchange station Zaragoza Delicitas could be provided.
And last but not least the signalling system must provide 3 minutes headway. 3 minutes head-
way is an international standard for all highs peed lines in the world. A signalling system, which
doesn’t allow a departure of two trains in a 3 minute space, doesn’t fulfil its purpose. And a
departure of two trains in a 3 minutes space or arrival or the main terminus station is even
urgent necessary as figure 16 proves.RENFE should make all effort to reach the timetable train
diagram goal as demonstrated in figure 16.
Figure 16. Train diagram goal for the Madrid - Barcelona AVE line
508 360.revista de alta velocidad