Spain High-Speed Rail: Adif AV’s EUR157.5M Signalling Boost

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Introduction

Adif Alta Velocidad (Adif AV) has awarded contracts worth EUR 157.5 million for the installation of advanced railway signalling and communications systems and the construction of a track assembly base on the 70 km Talayuela–Plasencia high-speed section.

Signalling and Communications Systems

One contract, valued at EUR 118.3 million, covers the installation of advanced signalling equipment and systems on the Talayuela – Plasencia high-speed section. This includes interlocking systems, train protection systems, fixed telecommunications, and the Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) system. The CTC system manages all operations remotely and in real time.

Another contract, worth EUR 8.2 million, involves the deployment of the GSM-R mobile railway communications system, providing digital connectivity between trains and control centres.

Track Assembly Base

Adif has awarded a EUR 31 million contract for the construction of the track assembly base in Navalmoral de la Mata. The base will cover an area of 140,000 m² and will be connected to both the conventional railway network and the regional road network via the EX-118. It will include storage areas for track components, workshops, offices, and maintenance facilities for rolling stock.

Madrid–Extremadura High-Speed Line Progress

These awards follow recent contracts for the electrification of the section, including the construction of the Casatejada substation and the installation of overhead catenary systems. The next stage will be the tendering of track assembly works.

Adif is advancing the Madrid–Extremadura high-speed line. While work proceeds on the second section, the first section, Plasencia–Cáceres–Badajoz, has been in operation since 2022 and electrified since 2023. This section is undergoing final testing to commission the ERTMS Level 2 signalling system.

Additional Rail Improvements

The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility is finalising plans for the third section, between Oropesa and Madrid. Adif is also improving conventional rail links in Extremadura, including the Madrid–Valencia de Alcántara line, where electrification design is underway, and the Mérida–Puertollano and Mérida–Los Rosales lines, where renewal works are progressing.

Conclusion

Adif AV has awarded contracts worth EUR 157.5 million for the installation of advanced railway signalling and communications systems and the construction of a track assembly base on the 70 km Talayuela–Plasencia high-speed section. These awards are part of the ongoing development of the Madrid–Extremadura high-speed line, with work progressing across multiple sections and improvements also underway on conventional rail links in the region.

Company Summary

Adif Alta Velocidad (Adif AV): Awarded contracts for the installation of advanced railway signalling and communications systems and the construction of a track assembly base on the Talayuela–Plasencia high-speed section.

Technology

Centralised Traffic Control (CTC): A system that manages all railway operations remotely and in real time.

ERTMS Level 2: The world’s most advanced signalling system.

GSM-R: A mobile railway communications system that provides digital connectivity between trains and control centres.

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