The Government considers stopping the Madrid-Barcelona AVE line during the remodeling works

The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, has admitted that he is considering closing the Madrid-Barcelona line to traffic for the duration of the remodeling process, the date of which has not yet been set. “Right now it is one of the things that we are evaluating, but not only for a security issue, but for multiple reasons,” he said during the press conference held this afternoon. The minister explained that normally, in Spain, it has been decided to carry out the remodeling works on the lines without interrupting their operation, which sometimes causes problems of "reliability or punctuality", unlike models such as the German one, in which the citizen is deprived of the service while the works are carried out.

Puente, however, has stated that, after the two accidents in nine months on the Madrid-Seville line, “decisions must be made.” "I don't know if in these circumstances it is the most prudent formula, that is, choosing to cut the service and take much less time [to carry out the works], five years less than 24 months or 12 months in normal conditions. It is something that we have to evaluate," he said. Furthermore, the Government will have to make a decision soon, because it has stated that it is "about to begin the renovation of the Madrid-Calatayud, which is in conditions that can clearly be improved."