The Directorate General for Environmental Quality and Assessment has approved the electrification project for the Illescas-Talayuela section of the 500 Madrid-Extremadura line.
The entity has determined that submitting it to an ordinary Environmental Impact Assessment is unnecessary as no significant adverse environmental effects are foreseen, provided that a series of planned measures are complied with.
The spokesman for the Talavera de la Reina government team, Jesús García-Barroso, has described this advance as “great news” for the city. It clears the way for electrification in the short term and will allow a mixed passenger and freight operation, improving the frequency and quality of trains for all passengers.
Adif has already put out a tender for the consultancy to adapt the gauges of the section and renovate nine stations between Illescas and Oropesa. These works will widen the sidings to allow goods trains of up to 750 metres to run.
The works, which are expected to be completed in 2028, will complete electrification as far as Extremadura. They will allow trains of the 106 and 107 series to reach Badajoz, running at 300 km/h on the high-speed sections.
The Humanes-Illescas section, for the time being without catenary, will be electrified within the Madrid Suburban Railway Plan framework.