Rail connection linking Lisbon and Madrid moves forward to 2030

Portugal and Spain have taken a decisive step to bring the Iberian capitals even closer by defining a set of concrete actions that will enable the establishment of rail links between Lisbon and Madrid by 2030 with a travel time of around 5 hours and a high-speed link of around 3 hours by 2034.

Target wise, the Iberian strategy will implement by 2030:

• A direct Lisbon-Madrid trip in around 5 hours
• Completion of the works on the new high-speed line between Évora and Caia by 2025 (operating in 2026)
• Start of operations of the Plasencia-Talayuela stretch by 2028
• Start of the construction of the second track between Poceirão and Bombel in 2026, to be complet4ed by 2029 (and operating in 2030)
• Completion of the studies for the new Lisbon-Évora, including the third bridge over the Tagus by 2027.

The following targets are set for 2034:

• A direct Lisbon-Madrid trip in around 3 hours
• Construction of the new Lisbon-Évora high speed line, including the third bridge over the Tagus and doubling the Évora-Caia line (if needs so warrant)
• Implementation of the European Rail Traffic Management System – ERTMS on several stretches between Lisbon and Madrid
• Studies and construction of the new high-speed track between Caia and Badajoz and the International Elvas-Badajoz train station on the border between both countries.

The new rail link between Lisbon and Madrid represents a more competitive alternative from a cost perspective and convenience for the passengers on the more than 40 daily flights between the two capitals, also fostering modal transfer to a transport with a lower carbon footprint. 

By significantly cutting the travel time to around three hours by 2034, this project not only fosters territorial and economic cohesion, it also contributes directly to reducing GHG emissions, contributing to more sustainable mobility in Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula.

This ambitious project is part of the European sustainable mobility strategy and the transborder rail interconnection, involving structural investment in infrastructure, technological updating, and rail interoperability.

We recall that the Portuguese Government undertook to become carbon neutral by 2050, taking on transport decarbonisation as a strategic priority in line with the Paris Agreement and European Union goals. 

In this context, the development of the high-speed rail network is essential to promote more sustainable, efficient, and environmentally responsible mobility, especially for short-haul international travel.

Interoperability with the European networks

In addition to the progressive implementation of the European Rail Traffic Management System by 2034, Portugal and Spain undertake to assess the social and economic costs and benefits and the impact of the interoperability of the Iberian gauge to the standard European gauge by 2027. If the assessment is positive, the two countries will put forward a duly coordinated plan to change their gauge.

All of these actions will be reflected in the respective national investment plans, ensuring the political and financial commitment to a modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly infrastructure.

"This project is more than a rail link, it is a bridge for the future of sustainable mobility and European cohesion", the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Miguel Pinto Luz stresses.

"It is a historical step in the connection between Portugal and Spain with a project that places Lisbon and Madrid three hours away by 2034. It is yet another evidence of the strong commitment by the Government in rail as the means of transport for the future – quicker, more sustainable, and more integrated in the European network", the Minister claimed. 

"With concrete investments, timeframes set and coordination between the two countries, we are making sure that high-speed rail is a reality at the service of the people, the economy, and territorial cohesion. This is also evidence of our commitment to a modern and efficient mobility, as well as our ambition for Portugal", he added.