A new high-speed rail project connecting Madrid and Lisbon that could cut travel time to just three hours has been backed by the EU, with hopes that the line could be ready as soon as 2030.
"We’re working on a plan to strengthen high-speed connections between major European capitals - and Madrid–Lisbon is one of our top priorities," EU Commissioner for Transport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said recently.
The journey currently takes over nine hours and involves several changes.
READ ALSO: Why are there so few trains between Spain and Portugal?
Ambitious though the plans are, there’s still a long way to go. The Spanish Transport Ministry revealed recently that routes on the Plasencia–Badajoz corridor in Spain’s western Extremadura region are being improved and tested for 300 km/h high-speed services, essential for the service.
Not only does this bolster train routes in an historically-underserved part of the country, but it also sets up the Madrid–Lisbon route as in Spain the last stop will be in Badajoz, right on the border.
According to Rail Tech, “Portugal is also advancing its side of the project, with a new high-speed line between Évora and Elvas under construction. The missing cross-border link between Badajoz and Elvas is expected to be bridged once both nations complete their respective domestic upgrades.”
What’s the project?
The aim of the high-speed project is to connect Madrid with Lisbon via frequent high-speed services that, with time, could cut the journey time to just three hours.
This will not only improve connections between the two capitals but also encourage travellers to choose more sustainable forms of transport and go for lower-carbon options to help cut emissions and the number of flights.
When will it be ready?
Judging from reports in the Spanish media and comments from politicians in both Portugal and Spain, it seems the new link will be rolled out in phases.
Firstly, sometime in 2027, a reduced service is hoped to be launched, and then the completed high-speed line by 2030, in time for when the two countries will jointly host the 2030 World Cup with Morocco.
READ ALSO: 82,000 jobs, 11 stadiums - What we know about Spain's 2030 World Cup
How much will tickets cost?
No pricing information has been released so far, so it’s hard to say. We do have an idea of how much the Spanish leg of the journey could cost, however.
Spain’s state rail infrastructure manager Adif estimates that high-speed AVE tickets between Madrid and Badajoz will cost an average of €64, so around €25 more than the current price.
It’s around 225km from Badajoz to Lisbon, so around a third of the overall journey from Madrid.
For some rough context, one-way tickets on high-speed trains between Paris and Berlin cost €59.99 for second class tickets and €69.99 for first class.
However, with different governments and state transport companies running the service, it’s not easy to say how far off the Madrid-Lisbon route will be in terms of pricing structure.
Why the need for a high-speed Madrid-Lisbon link?
Despite being neighbouring capitals, train connections between Madrid and Lisbon can be very slow and complicated. Currently, there is no direct route between the two cities, a situation that hasn't changed since the early days of the pandemic in 2020 when Spain's Renfe decided to get rid of the sleeper train between Madrid and Lisbon.
The existing roundabout route currently takes over nine hours, with limited daily services and at least one change but often two or three.
The new high-speed link will cut this down considerably. As The Local reported previously, the line aims to cut the journey time from nine to six hours by 2027 and eventually aims to connect the Spanish and Portuguese capitals in just three hours by 2030.
What does this mean for flights?
The launch of a high-speed service linking Lisbon with Madrid could also significantly reduce the need for the short flight between the two capitals, of which there are currently around 40 per day.
Both governments have talked up their ambitions of a high-speed rail service not only providing travellers with more options, but also reducing demand on flights and reducing motorway congestion on the border. With the arrival of this new rail option, demand for flights on these routes is expected to decrease significantly, contributing to a reduction in carbon emissions.
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