Tunnel de la risa
The three tunnels that connect Madrid's two main train stations, Atocha and Chamartín, are called Túnel de la risa . Two of the tunnels are built in Iberian broad gauge (1668 mm) and are mainly used for the Cercanías Madrid's S-Bahn traffic , while the third (as of June 2012: under construction) is being built in European standard gauge (1435 mm) and exclusively for high-speed traffic will serve between northern and southern Spain.
history
First tunnel
The construction work for the first, 7 km long, double-track tunnel (also called Túnel del este ) began in 1933. A line was laid under the Paseo del Prado , the Paseo del Recoletos and the Paseo de la Castellana . The tunnel was finally opened in 1967 because the construction of numerous problems (economic crisis, Spanish civil war) was always delayed, which caused a lot of ridicule and scorn in the Madrid population. That is why the tunnels are also called Túnel de la risa , in German for tunnel of laughter . In addition to the underground station in Atocha, two more stations were built, Recoletos and Nuevos Ministerios . With the completion of the Chamartín station in 1982, it was also connected to the tunnel. All platform tracks were connected to the two tunnel tracks. In addition to the S-Bahn, the tunnel also had to accommodate a considerable amount of long-distance traffic, as the Chamartín station had to cope with at least partially the function of a central station before the construction of the high-speed line Madrid – Seville . The permissible speed is between 60 and 80 km / h.
Second tunnel
After the first tunnel reached its capacity limits, it was decided in 2004 to build a second, also double-track tunnel between Atocha and Chamartín for suburban traffic with a length of 7.5 kilometers west of the existing one. A total of two intermediate stations were planned, of which Nuevos Ministerios (with a link to the first tunnel) and Sol were completed, with Sol not being commissioned until 2009. The third station, Alonso Martinez, is to be built by 2015. This second tunnel (also called Túnel del oeste ) was opened to traffic in 2008. The tunnel was designed for speeds of up to 90 kilometers per hour.
Third tunnel
Because the RENFE high-speed lines running towards Madrid end at two different train stations (Chamartín and Atocha), a regular lane connection between them has been considered for some time. On April 24, 2010, construction began on the double-track and 7.3 kilometers long tunnel, which is to run east of the Túnel del este under Calle de Alfonso XII and Calle de Serrano. On February 11, 2011, the tunnel was excavated. Due to the short distance between the stops between Chamartín and Atocha, the tunnel was designed for a maximum speed of 120 km / h. In addition to the tunnel, the project also includes the connection of the previous butt platform tracks 16, 17 and 18 in Madrid Chamartin station to the tunnel, as well as two additional tracks from Madrid Atocha to the Torrejón de Velasco junction, where the high-speed line to Seville joins the one to Valencia and Alicante separates.
The construction costs were estimated at 206 million euros, and in 2017 at 289 million euros. The tunnel boring machine used ended its work in February 2011. Completion was scheduled for the end of 2012. The Spanish financial crisis delayed the further progress of the construction work. The 25 kV catenary for the new sections of the route was energized for the first time on August 22, 2017. Commissioning was postponed to 2018 because the ERTMS was not yet installed. In 2019, the opening date was not foreseeable, as technical systems had still not been accepted; In February 2020, the opening for the second half of 2020 was announced. After commissioning, it will be possible to use standard lane connections from northern Spain to Seville, Valencia and beyond without the need to change gauges.
traffic
The two broad-gauge tunnels form the central axis of the Cercanías Madrid. Five lines (C-1, C-2, C-7, C-8 and C-10) run through the Túnel del este , two more (C-3 and C-4) run through the Túnel del oeste .
Some other regional and long-distance trains, including all broad gauge trains in the direction of Andalusia, Valencia and Extremadura, also pass through these two tunnels, but only stop in Chamartín and Atocha. For reasons of capacity and the lack of broad-gauge parking and treatment facilities in Atocha since the Madrid – Barcelona high-speed line went into operation , these must begin and end in Chamartín. For connections between the standard gauge lines to the north and south, re-gauge vehicles are required until the standard gauge tunnel is commissioned. Before entering one of the tunnels and after leaving it, these trains must pass through a gauge changeover facility .
Stations
Chamartine
Chamartín station is already outside the tunnel and is designed as a through station. All trains that use one of the tunnels stop in Chamartín, these are all long-distance trains, all Media Distancia RENFE and all Cercanías lines that lead to Atocha. All other trains from the north end in Chamartín, including the high-speed trains from Valladolid, Santander or Bilbao.
Nuevos Ministerios
The stopping point of both broad-gauge tunnels is served by all seven Cercanías lines and offers a transfer point to the Madrid metro network . The remaining trains, which use one of the two broad-gauge tunnels, pass through the station without stopping.
Sol
The station, inaugurated in 2009, is located under the Puerta del Sol and is used by two Cercanías lines. It is located in the Túnel del oeste . Other trains do not serve the stop. Here, too, there is an option to change to the metro.
Recoletos
The station in Túnel del este is served exclusively by five Cercanías lines and is one of the few stations in the S-Bahn-like system that does not have a direct connection to Madrid's subway network, even if two stations are in the immediate vicinity .
Atocha
The underground part of Atocha is served by all seven Cercanías lines and by all other trains using the tunnels. The third tunnel is also to have an underground station in Atocha. Furthermore, two metro stations ensure connection to the Madrid subway network.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Adif terminará en febrero el tunnel del AVE entre Atocha y Chamartín. In: El País . January 22, 2011, accessed October 18, 2015 (Spanish).
- ↑ a b Adif electrificará el tunnel del ave entre atocha y chamartín el 22 de agosto. In: elEconomista.es. Retrieved December 8, 2017 .
- ↑ Fomento concluye el túnel del AVE entre Atocha y Chamartín. In: ABC . February 11, 2011, Retrieved October 18, 2015 (Spanish).
- ↑ a b Los fallos de seguridad retrasan las cinco inauguraciones del AVE previstas para 2018. In: El Independiente. November 22, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017 .
- ↑ El AVE se queda fuera de la campaña: solo se mantiene la promesa (sin fecha) de Granada. In: elindependiente.com. May 22, 2019, accessed August 14, 2019 (Spanish).
- ↑ El tunnel del AVE entre Atocha y Chamartín entrará en servicio en el segundo trimestre del año. In: www.larazon.es. February 27, 2020, accessed March 22, 2020 (Spanish).