Madrid and Barcelona linked by a train capable of reaching 350 km/h. Just when the journey between the two largest Spanish cities has become a Russian roulette if your goal is to arrive on time. And just where the Renfe trains are having the most problems fulfilling what is expected.
However, the Government is determined to increase the maximum speed of the line. And you have already taken the first step.
At 350 km/h. In November 2025Óscar Puente, Minister of Transport, presented one of his star projects: linking Madrid and Barcelona with a train that travels at a maximum of 350 km/h. The final objective is to be able to travel between both cities in less than 120 minutes when it is now necessary to spend at least 182 minutes. As long as everything works correctly, of course.
To reduce the trip by one hour two interventions are necessary for which the necessary papers have already begun to be moved. One of them is the construction of two new stations, one in Parla (close to Madrid) and another in El Prat de Llobregat (close to Barcelona). The objective is to decongest the traffic that currently passes through Madrid and offer a variant of exit and entry to Barcelona.
The other intervention would be applied to the infrastructure itself and, it seems, will be the first to be carried out.
A first step. The Ministry of Transport has confirmed which has already awarded a first supply batch of overhead traverses for the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed line. A 112 million euro contract that is key for trains to reach 350 km/h top speed.
These first air traverses will be installed in four sections: Mejorada del Campo-Brihuega (232,400 units), Brihuega-Alcolea (143,150 units), Alcolea-Ariza (166,250 units) and Ariza-Calatayud (138,600 units). In addition, some maintenance tasks have been awarded “such as the renewal of the seat plates for sleepers (elements that ensure the fixing of the rail to the sleeper).”
Finally, the Ministry of Transport points out that “treatment and improvement actions are being carried out on two viaducts on the Guadalajara-Calatayud section of the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed rail line, Benamira and Río Blanco, both in the province of Soria.”
A physical question When the train exceeds 300 km/hthe aerodynamic load on the underside of the trains increases. This load is generated by turbulence under the train car, “gluing” it to the track. The more load, the more energy the train has to use to maintain speed. If the train releases that aerodynamic load a little, it does not need as much energy and it is easier for it to reach the desired top speed.
It is the same case as a Formula 1. The car is interested in having a lot of downforce on a circuit with many curves because it will be able to go through them faster. However, it will penalize on the straight because the top speed will be lower. On the contrary, if the circuit has few corners and many long straights, you are interested in low downforce to “fly” as fast as possible. But the car will be more unstable when cornering.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Transport explains that the ‘ballast flight’ must be added. This is the vibration of the stones, the ballast, when the train exceeds 300 km/h. At that speed it is critical because the turbulence raises these stones and produces constant collisions against the undercarriage and increases the risk of them being thrown and falling on the tracks and sleepers, generating potholes and vibrations.
The air traverses. Since the project was presented, the Ministry of Transport has indicated that the aerocrosses are key to being able to guarantee speeds greater than 300 km/h on the route. But, What are aerocrosses?
The aerocrosses are born from an Adif project which has been working on for more than a decade. Its design is very similar to current sleepers at first glance, but it has a rounded design that reduces the turbulence generated under the trains and, with it, the pressures that increase the aerodynamic load and ballast flight.
According to his calculations:
- Reduces the aerodynamic load in the space immediately above the ballast bed by 21%.
- The design allows increasing the distance between the ballast level and the upper face of the sleeper.
- It has no higher manufacturing or handling costs (they are still molds).
- And most importantly: the aerodynamic load generated by a train at 330 km/h on a track with current sleepers is equivalent to that generated by the same train at 370 km/h, but with aero sleepers.
In a delicate moment. He Adamuz accident in Córdoba led to the machinists to lift their foot on the line and Adif ended up lifting temporary restrictions of speed that have been happening until today while the line is being reviewed. The result is that Madrid-Barcelona will be played in the promised 182 minutes (25 minutes more than usual) is, right now, taking a chance.
This has caused a good part of the passengers who used the train to travel during their work day, with many comings and goings during the day, to move back to the Aerial Bridge. The CNMC calculates that up to half a million passengers may be lost if travel times remain higher than usual.
But, in addition, the Madrid-Barcelona line is where Renfe has detected the most problems with its Avrils. The vibrations on this route ended up generating cracks in the Talgo trains, designed to be used on variable gauge trackwhich gives them a competitive advantage in Madrid-Galicia. However, Renfe had to remove them from circulation upon seeing that they broke on this route that is now being renewed.
Photo | Pablo Nieto Abad
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