The Ministry of Transport has awarded 112 million euros to install aerotraviesas between Calatayud and Mejorada del Campo. With this improvement, the AVE will be able to reach 350 km/h, cutting minutes off the Madrid-Zaragoza route. A monumental project for a service that is already fast, while commuter trains endure daily delays and overcrowding.
Aerotraviesas: the technology that speeds up the AVE 🚄
Aerotraviesas are a track fastening system that reduces vibrations and allows for higher speeds without modifying existing infrastructure. Made from composite materials, they weigh less than concrete sleepers and extend the lifespan of the platform. Their installation on this 180-kilometer stretch will allow the AVE's potential to be fully exploited, even though only a few can afford the ticket to enjoy it.
Ministers, smiles, and a commuter train that never comes 😤
While technicians install aerotraviesas so that a select few can travel at 350 km/h, the ordinary folks on the outskirts remain packed like sardines in trains that seem from the coal era. Sure, the inauguration photo will look spectacular. Too bad there isn't an aerotraviesa to speed up the 7 AM commuter train—that one truly needs a miracle, not 112 million.