Its first 179.6km (111.6mi) 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 (119mph).
The second 162.7km (101.1mi) 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 350km/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 50km (31mi) 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]
This line is constructed for trains running at up to 350 kilometres per hour (220mph). ERTMS type II signaling and ASFA digital diversion clearance of 220 kilometres per hour (140mph) and a reduction of over 70 kilometres (43mi) (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 28.4km (5.6 and 17.6mi) 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 (190mph).[7]
In the section between Valladolid and León the route comprises 78.7km (48.9mi) of double track and two single-track sections totalling 84km (52mi). 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 (12.6mi) section between León and La Robla remains in conventional Iberian gauge line for a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99mph), 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 (30.9mi) section between La Robla and Pola de Lena is a double electrified track for maximum speeds of 275 kilometres per hour (171mph). 80% of this section consists of tunnels of a total length of 40 kilometres (25mi), including the 25 kilometres (16mi) 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:
Other high-speed lines departing from Madrid, via Chamartin and Atocha stations.
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)
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.
Arroyo Valley Viaduct (1,796 m, maximum height 77.8 m)
Tabladillo tunnel (2km)
Puentecilla Tunnel (1900 m)
Tunel del Pinar de Antequera (1km) (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.
More information Previous train, Time ...
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
Close
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.
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 (190mph) over 147 kilometres (91mi) of the line.
More information end km, home km ...
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
Close
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (May 2015)