The AVE Madrid-Barcelona set to return to both tracks this Monday

Adif plans to reopen the section between Ricla and Plasencia de Jalón after replacing 1.2 kilometres of catenary

At 16:05 on Monday, 12 October, the locomotive of a high-speed train caught fire at kilometre point 256.2 on track I, heading towards Barcelona. The fire disrupted traffic between Ricla and Plasencia de Jalón, in Zaragoza.

Traffic was completely suspended at first. Within four hours, technicians managed to enable provisional passage on a single track.

The section is expected to fully resume traffic

Adif plans to make the infrastructure available to operators this Monday, 19 October, to restore circulation on both tracks of the AVE Madrid-Barcelona line. The intervention will allow normal service to resume on the affected section.

Removal of the train and track repairs

Renfe initially assessed the damage. The usable part of the train was removed first, followed by the burnt-out structure from the night of 15 October. The extent of the damage required the use of a large industrial shear to cut up the remains.

Adif deployed diesel locomotives and special platforms to transport the fragments to the removal point. Specialists in electrification and track maintenance accompanied the operations.

The work also included cleaning debris from the track bed, checking welds, and inspecting the rail. Cable ducts were repaired, damaged supports replaced, and a safety beacon that had been removed to facilitate the work was reinstalled.

Night shifts to avoid daytime closures

For the electrical part, workers replaced around 1.2 kilometres of contact wire on the catenary. They also repaired a support, retensioned the wiring, and carried out pendulum, adjustment, and geometric checks.

Most of the work was carried out during the night maintenance window, with shifts of five to six hours, to avoid a total closure of the line and minimise disruption to passenger services during the day.

The operation involved 24 workers and specialised technicians, with heavy machinery, work locomotives, geometric checking equipment, and ultrasonic inspection systems. After preliminary inspections, Adif has certified the optimal condition of the track and its subsystems, and is preparing to make the infrastructure available to operators this Monday.