The Madrid—Barcelona high-speed line

Abstract

In early 2003, commercial service trains will, for the first time, run at speeds of up to 350 km/h on the Madrid–Barcelona line. The aim of this paper is to explain and justify the reasons that led Spanish railways to take this decision—a decision that will undoubtedly be a milestone in the railway industry, but also a challenge of major importance. The measures adopted to ensure that the increased running speeds are not accompanied by increased track maintenance costs are also outlined. Attention has centred on two factors: first, in reducing the axle load and the unsprung mass of vehicles; second, in reducing the vertical stiffness of the baseplates between sleepers and rails.