Madrid–Extremadura high-speed rail line

Badajoz–Plasencia The infrastructure is built with multi-purpose railroad ties, set for Iberian gauge but allowing for a future switch to standard gauge. It is single track from Badajoz to Mérida and double track from Mérida to Plasencia. The first phase of the electrification is scheduled to be completed in September 2023, when a first test train will circulate between Plasencia and Cáceres (the same will be done later on Cáceres–Badajoz, where the electrification work is also being finalized). Plasencia–Talayuela (Oropesa) The Oropesa segment of the track will be long. Oropesa–Madrid long, it will consist of a passenger only double track segment between Madrid and Talavera de la Reina and mixed passenger-freight traffic from Talavera de la Reina to Oropesa. == Extension to Portugal ==

The extension to Portugal, the Lisbon–Madrid high-speed rail line, forms part of the Trans-European high-speed rail network, which in turn is one of a number of the European Union's Trans-European transport networks (TEN-T). It was defined by the Council Directive 96/48/EC of 23 July 1996. Although in 2012 the project was formally cancelled on the Portuguese side of the project as not being financially viable, it was brought back in 2020 as the Portuguese government saw new opportunities. The current plan is to open the line by sections on the "South International Corridor", between the Spanish border and Lisbon via Évora (and with another branch from Évora towards the port of Sines). As of March 2023, the line between Badajoz and Lisbon was planned to be opened in 2024, with a journey time between Lisbon and Badajoz of 1 hour 50 minutes. The line is currently planned to fully open by 2030. Badajoz–Elvas The border section Badajoz–Elvas is composed of : • a Spanish section. • a Portuguese section Elvas–Caia (), whose modernization was achieved in 2020. Medium-term plans include a large Badajoz bypass and a new cross-border/on-the-border station in Caia which will serve both Badajoz and Elvas. Elvas–Évora From Elvas to Évora, a section of new line is currently under construction, named "New line of Évora" (Portuguese ), which will allow operational speeds up to . As of March 2023, this section, designed for a maximum speed of , was planned to be completed by the end of 2023. This will be the first high-speed line section to be opened in Portugal (the high-speed sections opened until then were upgraded lines with lower speed). Évora–Lisbon The line from Évora to Lisbon via , with a new bridge over the Tagus River (as in the original plan) is planned to be upgraded. of upgraded railway is in service where Intercity trains run at on the upgraded single track. A new double-tracked high-speed line for the section between Évora-Norte and Poceirão is planned, but given lower priority over other sections of the high speed railway network, with completion predicted not earlier than the mid-2030's. As an intermediate upgrade, planning is underway for the duplication of the current line between and . == See also ==