SPAIN: Tenders are to be called in the last quarter of this year for the construction of a gauge-changing facility at Brazatortas-Veredas, enabling trains from Mérida and Badajoz to use the high speed line from Córdoba to reach Madrid.

The work is expected to take 10 months to complete within a budget of €10m, and should cut the fastest journey time between Madrid and Badajoz from 5 h 30 min to around 3 h 50 min.

As work progresses on building a high speed to Badajoz, where the alignment between Mérida and Badajoz is now over 70% complete, ADIF is to invest €77m in the conventional route between Madrid and Badajoz as part of the government programme to revive the railfreight sector. Track renewals scheduled for next year include the 93 km between Brazatortas and Cabeza del Buey at a cost of €55m, as well as the 31 km Cabeza del Buey – Castuera section where work is expected to cost €18m.l