Spain Plans to Increase Train Speeds on the Madrid–Barcelona Line to 350 km/h
The Spanish government has announced a modernization project for the railway between Madrid and Barcelona. The upgraded high-speed “AVE” line will allow trains to reach 350 km/h, reducing travel time to less than two hours.
Spain’s Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, stated that such speeds are currently achieved only in China, and once the project is completed, Spain will become the second country in the world with the highest commercial rail speed.
At present, trains on the Madrid–Barcelona route operate at 300–310 km/h, but rising passenger demand and new operators have increased the load on the line. To improve capacity, the government chose to increase the speed rather than build new tracks.
The higher speed will allow trains to run more frequently by shortening turnaround time. Modernization will be carried out gradually and will include both the main line and access routes to major cities. A new high-speed station will be built in Parla near Madrid, and in Barcelona the focus will be on developing the La Sagrera railway hub.
