Its first 179.6 km (111.6 mi) 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 (119 mph).
The second 162.7 km (101.1 mi) 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 350 km/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 50 km (31 mi) 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 (220 mph). ERTMS type II signaling and ASFA digital diversion clearance of 220 kilometres per hour (140 mph) and a reduction of over 70 kilometres (43 mi) (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 28.4 km (5.6 and 17.6 mi) 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 (190 mph).[7]
In the section between Valladolid and León the route comprises 78.7 km (48.9 mi) of double track and two single-track sections totalling 84 km (52 mi). 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 (12.6 mi) section between León and La Robla remains in conventional Iberian gauge line for a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph), 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 (30.9 mi) section between La Robla and Pola de Lena is a double electrified track for maximum speeds of 275 kilometres per hour (171 mph). 80% of this section consists of tunnels of a total length of 40 kilometres (25 mi), including the 25 kilometres (16 mi) 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:
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.
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 changersatValladolid 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.
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 Alicante–León via Albacete, Cuenca, Madrid-Chamartín, Valladolid and Palencia.
AVE Valencia–Burgos via Requena Utiel, Cuenca Fernando Zóbel, Madrid-Chamartin and Valladolid on S-112.
Avant Madrid-Chamartin–Segovia Guiomar nonstop on S121
Avant Madrid-Chamartin–Valladolid via Segovia Guiomar on S121
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 Madrid-Chamartin–Gijón via Valladolid, Palencia, Léon and Oviedo on S-130
Alvia Castellón–Gijón via Madrid-Chamartin, Segovia Guiomar, Valladolid, Palencia, Léon, Pola de Lena, Mieres and Oviedo 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 Gijón–Vinaros, via Oviedo, Mieres Del Camín, La Pola, León, Palencia, Valladolid, Segovia, Madrid, Cuenca, Valencia, Sagunto, Castellón, Benicàssim, Oropesa del Mar and Benicarló (only in summertime).
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.
Alvia Madrid-Chamartin–A Coruña, via Zamora, Ourense and Santiago de Compostela.
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 (190 mph) over 147 kilometres (91 mi) of the line.
