everything that the new Adif map has to say

Yes, we knew that our high-speed trains did not always run at their maximum performance. But it was not until after the accident in Adamuz (Córdoba) that the controversy over speed limitations arose. Who sets these limitations? Why do you decide to drive at a specific speed and not another? How many are there?

Adif has just resolved this last question.

The map. It is public and very easy to consult. Adif has published a map which is updated in real time with all active speed limitations on the railways in Spain. The map is very easy to access and intuitive. A number on a green circular background shows the maximum limit at which the train can run.

As can be seen in the images that we will detail throughout the text, the limitations are very numerous and are distributed throughout the national territory. It is important to know that they are temporary limitations, that is, they are limitations that have been imposed for safety measures but where the train passage should be greater.

The map, of course, does not arrive without controversy either. And a group of train users set up their own website in which all the speed limitations were collected. Adif managed to knock her down in just a few hoursciting security reasons. Today, Adif has its own map.

More than 1,000 limitations? It is the figure that has been popularized in the media, referring to all the conflict points that are registered on the map. However, it is worth clarifying something: not all limitations are active for high-speed lines. Some of them refer to medium and long distance lines, others are Cercanías and others are for freight lines.

And, as we can see in the following image, in addition to the map it is also included with a legend in which we read the start and end point of the limitation, as well as whether the type of road on which it is active (high speed, goods…), its width or the direction of circulation.

Why now? Since the occurrence of Adamuz accident in Córdoba where a Renfe train derailed after, everything indicates, slightly colliding with an Iryo train that was traveling in the opposite direction and which in turn had derailed due to a fracture in one of the tracks, the debate about whether the Spanish railway network is safe has been on the table.

The truth is that after the accident and in a fateful week with another deceased in the Rodalies network in Catalonia and, later, a landslide next to the AVE tracks in the province of Malaga has caused its closure for monthsspeed limitations skyrocketed in our country for various reasons.

Since then, these speed limitations have been part of the debate because, for example, in the Madrid-Barcelona match they complicated traffic so much that today trains continue to take much longer than expected to cover the journey. But, above all, the trains accumulated days and weeks in which they arrived late to their destination complicating connectivity between both cities on a line that had functioned without major problems.

The vibrations. Part of these limitations were put in place after videos became popular in which obvious vibrations in trains Spanish high-speed trains. These vibrations, as confirmed by experts consulted by Xataka they do not cause a derailment by themselves but they do prematurely wear out rolling stock and infrastructure.

To this we must add that the Madrid-Barcelona line was already in the spotlight because the AVLO trains used by Renfe, delivered by Talgo months before, ended up suffering from cracking problems and have had to be removed from circulation.

Notices. These vibrations also generate obvious discomfort for passengers and the workers themselves. And the drivers, beyond the limitations indicated on the map, can reduce speed if they consider it necessary to circulate safely or with a minimum of comfort. These reductions must be notified to the corresponding control center and justified in a subsequent report why they are carried out.

A train driver confirmed Xataka that they had been warning for a long time of these vibration problems and requesting temporary speed limitations at some points. However, they claim that these pleas were ignored and that it was not until the Adamuz accident that Adif took their complaints much more into account.

The most affected. As can be seen in the images above, Andalusia is one of the most affected regions in terms of speed limitations. The sections between Córdoba and Seville and Córdoba and Málaga accumulate temporary restrictions for a good part of the route. Also noteworthy is the branch to Algeciras, which is medium distance and used by freight trains.

Another area in which criticism has accumulated in recent months is Rodalies in Catalonia. There, the lines that connect with Barcelona suffer daily problems with delays or breakdowns. The Rodalies lines (red) present many more problems than the high-speed lines (blue) with temporary speed limitations that are chained together.

They are also not exempt from continuous speed limitations on approaches to Bilbao and San Sebastián. Above all, arriving at the first of these cities is accepting that you are constantly traveling at a speed lower than what could be reached no matter how complicated the terrain. And finally, The approach to Madrid is not very differentwith constant speed limitations for medium-distance and Cercanías trains, wherever they arrive.

Photos | Adif and Pablo Nieto Abad

In Xataka | After the Adamuz accident and the high-speed chaos, the consequences arrive: 30% fewer train travelers