Getting a train from Malaga to Barcelona could soon take 40 minutes less thanks to a major planned upgragde.
It comes after Transport Minister Oscar Puente confirmed a multimillion-euro investment under the new AV350 project.
The plan is designed to modernise the country’s high-speed infrastructure and strengthen competition with the growing number of rail operators.
At the heart of the initiative are two major changes, consisting of a sweeping renewal of the high-speed routes themselves and the construction of a new AVE station in Parla, south of Madrid.
Together, they are expected to ease chronic congestion at Atocha and allow long-distance services to cross the Madrid region without having to enter the capital.
The impact on Andalucía’s connections with Catalonia could be substantial.
A direct Malaga–Barcelona trip currently takes around six hours, stretching to more than seven and a half if a change at Atocha is required.
With the new upgrades, journey times could fall by 20 to 40 minutes, and potentially more once Parla’s station becomes operational, which is expected to be within three years.
A key element of the AV350 plan involves the introduction of newly designed aerodynamic sleepers on the Madrid–Barcelona corridor.
These components reduce air pressure generated beneath passing trains, preventing the ballast stones from being drawn upwards and allowing locomotives to safely reach higher speeds.
The ministry believes this will make it feasible to raise the commercial top speed on the line from 300 km/h to around 350 km/h, enabling existing trains to use their full performance capability for the first time.
Puente described the project as a ‘new starting point’ for Spain’s rail future, noting that the enhancements on the Madrid–Barcelona axis will benefit every long-distance service that relies on the route, including trains linking Málaga, Córdoba and Sevilla with the northeast of the country.
