Spain pushes to reopen historic western railway and upgrade Madrid‑Barcelona high‑speed line

Officials in western Spain are campaigning to revive the historic Ruta de la Plata, a rail corridor that once linked Sevilla to Gijón via Cáceres, Salamanca and León. The line was closed in 1984, but municipalities of Salamanca, Cáceres and surrounding towns signed a joint declaration in 2023 urging its restoration, citing job creation, logistical development and a means to curb depopulation.

At the same time, the Spanish government is advancing a high‑speed upgrade of the Madrid‑Barcelona corridor. In November 2025 the transport ministry awarded a €112 million contract for aerotraviesas – specially shaped rail sleepers that reduce aerodynamic turbulence at speeds above 300 km/h. The works will include new stations near Parla (Madrid) and El Prat (Barcelona) and reinforcement of two viaducts in Soria, aiming to cut travel time to under two hours with trains running up to 350 km/h.