MurciaâAlmerĂa high-speed rail line | |
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Overview | |
Status | Under construction |
Owner | Adif |
Locale | Spain ( Region of Murcia, Andalucia) |
Termini | |
Service | |
Type | High-speed rail |
Operator(s) | Renfe Operadora |
History | |
Opened | 2026 [1] |
Technical | |
Line length | 184 km (114 mi) |
Number of tracks | Triple track |
Track gauge | 2 tracks 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge, 1 track 1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) Iberian gauge |
Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz [2] |
Operating speed | max 300 km/h (190 mph) |
The MurciaâAlmerĂa high-speed rail line is an under-construction railway in the Region of Murcia and Andalusia in Spain.
Murcia and AlmerĂa were once linked by rail from Lorca to Guadix via Baza, however this line closed in 1985. When the AVE high speed rail network opened in 1992, it continued to expand, with the MadridâLevante high-speed rail network reaching Alicante railway station in 2013, and Murcia del Carmen railway station in 2022. [3]
A continuation from Murcia to AlmerĂa railway station was proposed, and construction of the new high-speed line began in 2010, [4] but was suspended due to political disagreements. In 2017 the Spanish government announced that work would restart in 2019, to be completed by 2023. [1] The railway's estimated completion date has since been pushed to 2026. [5]
The line will serve as a continuation of the MadridâLevante high-speed rail network at Murcia, serving stations at Lorca and Vera before terminating in AlmerĂa. It will include two standard-gauge high-speed tracks for passenger trains with a maximum speed of 300 km/h (190 mph) and a parallel 1668 mm Iberian gauge track for freight. [4] The trip from Murcia to AlmerĂa is expected to take 1 hour 5 minutes, [6] and 3.5 hours to Madrid, compared to the current six hours taken using the existing Linares BaezaâAlmerĂa railway.