Madrid–Levante high-speed rail network

The Madrid–Levante high-speed network is a network of high-speed rail lines that connects Madrid with the Mediterranean coast of the Levante Region, specifically with Castilla-La Mancha, the Valencian Community and the Murcia Region autonomous communities.

Madrid–Levante high-speed rail network
Current network in 2019 (in red)
Overview
TypeHigh-speed rail
StatusOperational
LocaleSpain (Community of Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha,
Valencian Community)
TerminiMadrid Puerta de Atocha
Valencia-Joaquín Sorolla/Alicante
Ridership5.4 million (2018)[1]
Operation
Opened18 December 2010 (Madrid-Albacete-Valencia)
17 June 2013 (Albacete-Alicante)
OwnerAdif
Operator(s)Renfe Operadora
Rolling stock100, 112, and 130
Technical
Line length603 km (375 mi)
Number of tracksDouble track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz
Route map

length
in m
km
km
length
in m
Madrid-Valladolid AVE
Madrid Chamartin
0.0
0.5
7.3
 Madrid Atocha
Túnel de la risa
Madrid–Barcelona AVE
14.3
Los Gavilanes
24.4
Parla
28.0
Madrid–Seville AVE
40.3
42.5
Valdemorro
Aranjuez–Alcazar
de San Juan Line
Tagus River
El Regajal tunnel
2,437
A-40
84.6
Villarrubia de Santiago
Aranjuez–Cuenca line
A-40
Aranjuez–Cuenca line
A-3
118.6
Tarancón
Altomira tunnel
768
Ciguela River
Horcajada tunnel
3,957
164.8
Horcajada
Cabrejas tunnel
2,020
195.1
 Cuenca–Fernando Zóbel
De la Vega creek
Júcar River
Loma Carrascal tunnel
2,198
N-320
Del Bosque tunnel
3,128
Motilla creek
224.7
Monteagudo de las Salinas
Tendero tunnel
1,097
251.6
Motilla del Palancar Junction
267.0
Iniesta
Rodenillo gully
657
A-3
Huertas de Mateo A.
La Peinería gully
387
Minglanilla tunnel
520
A-3
Pozorrubielos
de la Mancha
262.4
Embalse de Contreras viaduct
Rabo de la Sartén tunnel
Del Istmo viaduct
830
Villagordo Cabriel tunnel
3,340
310.5
PB Caudete de las Fuentes
Magro River
A-3
Madrid–Cuenca–Valencia line
327.5
 Requena-Utiel
La Cabrera tunnel
7,252
Buñol tunnel
1,858
A-3
Albacete-Los Llanos
(Vialia)
321.7
Chiva tunnel
663
Torrent tunnel
2,290
to Madrid
391.0
A-7
Alginet
397.6
 Valencia-Joaquín Sorolla
Júcar River
419.2
 Sagunto
Xàtiva
459.3
 Castellón Central
track upgraded
for 220 km/h
to Barcelona
La Encina
Nudo de la Encina
410.0
to Alicante
Madrid–Alicante line
Villena
435.5
2,890
Barrancadas tunnel
1,481
Vinalopó River
Encina–Alicante line
AP-31
Murcia Junction
461.4
Vinalopó Junction
464.9
464.6
Monforte del Cid
0,488
Temerosa
472.3
AP-7
Aspe
485.9
 Alicante
1,730
El Murón
473.9
0,371
El Carrús
478.0
1,288
Elche
478.5
Elche-Matola
482.2
Alicante-Murcia Line
Torrellano Junction
487.7
to Alicante
San Isidro-Albatera-Catral
493.6
Callosa de Segura-Cox
498.2
2,020
Callosa de Segura
Orihuela AVE
507.6
↓ single track from here
Beniel AVE
513.4
Variante del Reguerón
516.3
524.6
 Cartagena
Murcia del Carmen
529.8
junction upgraded
for 220 km/h
A-7
Lorca
Almanzora railway
to Águilas
1,965
Cadímar viaduct
7,538
Sorbas tunnels
Almería
length
in m
km
km
length
in m
Key
standard gauge
Iberian gauge

The network extends from Madrid to the east, with branches ending in Castellón, Alicante, Elche, Murcia, Cartagena and continuing from Murcia to Almería.

When fully operational the Madrid–Levante network will total 955 km of high-speed rail capable of top speeds of 350 km/h in the majority of its segments.[2]

Segments

Madrid–Cuenca–Motilla del Palancar–Valencia

The first 28 km of this 391 km line are shared with the existing Madrid–Seville high-speed rail line. The section onwards to Valencia was inaugurated on 15 December 2010 and entered service on 19 December 2010.

Thirty trains run every day, fifteen in each direction. 22 are non-stop services and eight call at intermediate stations.

Non-stop trains between Madrid and Valencia cover the 391 km (243 mi) in 1 hour and 40 minutes, saving two hours on the previous service of Alaris trains on the classic line.[3]

The line is built to international gauge (1435mm), and electric powered at 25 kV AC, with signalling ERTMS levels 1 and 2.

Valencia–Castellón

This segment was inaugurated on 22 January 2018 and is a part of the Mediterranean Corridor. With this extension to Castellón a new AVE service Madrid-Castellón was introduced which cut the journey time between the two cities by further 30 minutes to total 2 hours and 25 minutes.

Four AVE trains per day are scheduled, two in each direction between Madrid and Castellón while this segment is also used by the Alvia service Gijón–Castellón.[4][5]

Valencia–Xàtiva

Segment under construction. Planned for mixed use (goods and passengers).[6]

Xàtiva–Nudo de La Encina

This 41.2 km segment is in service with a maximum speed of 220 km/h.

Motilla del Palancar–Albacete

A 62.8 km segment between Cuenca and Albacete provinces. This section was inaugurated on 15 December and open to the public on 19 December 2010.

Albacete–Nudo de La Encina–Monforte del Cid–Alicante

The 171.5 km section from Albacete to Alicante opened in June 2013.[7]

Monforte del Cid–Elche–Murcia–Cartagena

The under construction segment between the municipality of Monforte del Cid in Alicante and Murcia has a length of 61,7 kilometers, of which 46,2 are located in the province of Alicante and the remaining 15,5 in Murcia. It is a new segment of double track in standard gauge, suitable for speeds up to 350 km/h. The access section towards the new segment to Murcia is in service since 2008, although until the arrival of the AVE, it is only used by Iberian gauge trains. This section is 8,9 km long of which 7,7 km are ready with three track rails, two of standard gauge and one of Iberian gauge.

Murcia–Almería
Main article: Murcia–Almería high-speed rail line

The main purpose of this line is to connect the Transversal Rail Line to the Madrid-Levante and Mediterranean Corridor rail lines. This segment is 184.3 km (108.1 km in Almería Province and 76.2 in Murcia Region).

Stations
AVE in Albacete Station

Madrid-Atocha

Madrid Atocha (Spanish: Estación de Madrid Atocha, also named Madrid Puerta de Atocha) is the largest railway station in Madrid. Atocha also hosts commuter trains (Cercanías), intercity and regional trains from the south, and AVE high-speed trains to Barcelona (Catalonia) and Seville (Andalusia).

These services are run by the national rail company, Renfe. The station is in the Atocha neighbourhood of the Arganzuela district.

Cuenca-Fernando Zóbel

The Cuenca–Fernando Zóbel railway station is a new station, and is 5 km from the city centre. It is named after painter Fernando Zóbel to commemorate his links to the city. The station occupies 3.950 m² with 8.900 m² of parking space.

Albacete-Los Llanos

Albacete-Los Llanos railway station is 23.000 m² with a commercial area and parking space for 600 cars.[8]

Requena-Utiel

A new 600 m² station called Requena-Utiel was built with parking space for at least 250 cars.[9] It brings the two small towns of Requena and Utiel on to the high-speed map./[3]

Valencia Central Station

A new Valencia Central Station will be built that eventually replaces the existing Valencia North station. It will be 12 tracks wide in 2 subterranean levels.[10]

Villena AV

Located 6.5 km from Villena town centre.

Alicante

Current terminus of the Alicante branch at the existing Alicante railway station.

Future expansion

The network is planned to expand to Elche and Murcia (and eventually Cartagena) by 2021,[11] and to be connected to Almería in the Mediterranean Corridor by 2023.

Stations

Elche AV

A 5,500 m² station planned for opening at the end of 2019,[12] with parking space for 500 cars and 50 motorcycles.

Murcia

The new intermodal Murcia del Carmen railway station will be close to the present station. It will be 8 rail tracks wide and will serve buses and local trains.[13]

Cartagena

It is yet unclear whether the current Cartagena railway station, located next to the old town, will be the final station for high speed services or a new station will be built on the outskirts of the city. Construction of the high speed railway between Murcia and Cartagena is scheduled to begin in 2018, and be complete by 2023.[14]

See also
  • AVE Spanish high-speed train service
  • TGV French high-speed train service
  • YHT Turkish high-speed train service

References
  1. "El AVE Madrid-València, el que más sube, iguala en viajeros al de Sevilla". www.levante-emv.com (in Spanish). 19 January 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  2. "Líneas de alta velocidad, Línea Madrid - Castilla La Mancha - Comunidad Valenciana - Región de Murcia". ADIF. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  3. Fox, Brendan (December 2010). "New timetables in Europe". Modern Railways. London. pp. 74–77.
  4. Pablo García (22 January 2018). "Una avería para en Sagunto el AVE Madrid-Castellón en su estreno con Rajoy a bordo". El Independiente.
  5. JANDRO ROURES (17 January 2018). "Rajoy inaugurará el lunes el AVE Castellón-Madrid que empezará a circular el martes con 4 trenes diarios". elmundo.es.
  6. "Fed. castellano manchega de amigos del FFCC". Archived from the original on 2009-12-17. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
  7. "High speed to Alacant from June 18". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  8. Nueva estación Vialia de Albacete
  9. Nueva estación de Requena-Utiel Archived 2007-10-12 at Archive.today
  10. Nueva estación Central de Valencia
  11. "Murcia-Madrid train journey times cut to 3 hours 16 minutes". Murcia Today. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  12. "Dos horas y media de Elche a Madrid, en AVE". Diario Información (in Spanish). 4 February 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  13. "Murcia Alta Velocidad_Actuaciones Ferroviarias". Archived from the original on 2010-06-20. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
  14. "El AVE llegará a Cartagena con los últimos 800 metros soterrados en 2023". La Opinión de Murcia (in Spanish). 22 February 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
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