Adif High Speed imposed a temporary speed restriction to 160 km/h this morning on 155 km of high-speed line 050 Madrid-Barcelona-French border, after pressure from drivers over the state of the infrastructure.
The safety measure affects the section from pk 34+800 (Mejorada del Campo, Madrid) to pk 182+900 (Ariza, Zaragoza), and will remain in place until the overnight maintenance inspection.
If auscultation reveals no safety-critical anomalies, the TSR is expected to be lifted tonight, restoring normal line speeds.
Semaf union had self-imposed a cap of 230 km/h max from Puerta de Atocha to Calatayud, causing 15-minute delays; Adif’s TSR adds over 30 minutes to journey times.
The move stems from repeated Semaf complaints about vibrations and poor track condition, amid tensions following the Adamuz (Córdoba) derailment, which has so far claimed 41 lives.
Semaf flagged track issues on routes to Sevilla, Málaga, Barcelona and Valencia back in August; in July, Adif internal teams auscultated 150 km from Madrid to Ariza over reports of hammering, finding ride comfort parameters at their limits, prompting extra tamping and ballast consolidation.
This section initially saw speed curbs only for class 106 EMUs, as track state was deemed a factor in bogie wear.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente acknowledged the poor condition of this stretch in November , announcing full renewal works to enable 350 km/h running.
Adif maintains the line is safe, but restrictions pile up pending upgrades.