The Madrid-Barcelona high-speed train journey will be lengthened by another 25 minutes until the end of the year

MadridThe restrictions on high-speed rail are here to stay, at least until the end of the year. This was confirmed by sources at Adif on Thursday, after the head of the rail network infrastructure reached an agreement with the three operators on the line (Renfe, Iryo, and Ouigo) to maintain the reduced service in order to inspect the tracks, according to ACN. The decision comes after weeks of accumulated delays, complaints from train drivers about the poor condition of the infrastructure, and confusion about the underlying reasons for the high-speed rail slowdown. The agreement between the operators and Adif means that the fastest AVE journey from Barcelona to Madrid, which was previously two hours and thirty-seven minutes, will now take at least three hours with the reduced speed. It should be noted that while the AVE normally travels at 300 kilometers per hour, with the restrictions it runs at 160 kilometers per hour on several sections. Airlines have already begun informing passengers of schedule changes and cancellations resulting from this situation.

Strike in the sector next week

The speed limits were adopted after the Adamuz accident, where 46 people died. Initially, the Ministry of Transport reported that it was only a temporary restriction, lasting only one night, but the very next day it had to backtrack and reinstate speed limits on some sections, mainly concentrated between Zaragoza and Madrid. In the appearances that the minister has made these days Transport Minister Óscar Puente, speaking both in the Senate and the Congress, has argued that protocols mandate these limitations if train drivers report incidents. If so, Adif (Spain's railway infrastructure manager) must inspect the infrastructure and verify that maintenance is correct. Incidents have increased in recent days, according to Puente.

This new measure comes amid ongoing negotiations between unions and the Ministry of Transport regarding the strike called for the entire sector on February 9, 10, and 11. Representatives from all sides are meeting this Thursday to try to reach an agreement, although the unions are maintaining their protest, arguing that their safety and that of passengers is not guaranteed. The Ministry, led by Óscar Puente, hopes to avert the strike at the last minute, as it believes it would further exacerbate the rail chaos of recent weeks, not only on high-speed lines but especially on the commuter rail network in Catalonia.