Dynamic testing at 200 km/h is now underway on the new Évora–Elvas railway. The programme is being carried out using a CP formation comprising a Class 5600 electric locomotive and two Intercidades coaches, transferred from Lisbon to Évora yesterday, according to Portugal Ferroviario.
The 88 km section, part of the international Sines–Badajoz corridor, is a newly built line designed for mixed passenger and freight traffic. Although the formation has been built to accommodate double track, it is being commissioned initially as a single-track railway.
The infrastructure is designed for maximum speeds of 250 km/h for passenger services and 120 km/h for freight, qualifying it as a high-speed line by definition. It will be equipped with ERTMS-compatible signalling and control systems, a key requirement for interoperability, as it will carry services linking Madrid and Extremadura with Lisbon.
Following months of less visible testing, such as load tests on viaducts, this phase will assess real-world performance of the track, overhead line equipment and train–infrastructure interaction ahead of entry into commercial service.