Adif Orders Last Trains on Madrid-Barcelona High-Speed Line Two Hours Earlier for Repairs

Adif, Spain's rail infrastructure manager, has asked operators on the high-speed Madrid-Barcelona line to cancel their final daily trains starting Monday night. The move allows maintenance teams to carry out essential overnight repairs without interference from passenger services.

The decision affects Renfe, Iryo, and Ouigo, with each company advancing its last departure by about two hours. Renfe's final Madrid-Barcelona service will now leave at 19:34, and the Barcelona-Madrid train at 20:00. Iryo will run its last trains at 19:29 from Madrid and 19:40 from Barcelona. Ouigo has set its closing times at 20:10 from Madrid and 20:00 from Barcelona.

This measure responds to repeated delays and temporary speed restrictions on parts of the route, caused by anomalies reported by drivers. Adif imposed the limits to ensure safety, but they have extended journey times—sometimes by up to three hours—pushing trains into the usual maintenance window at night.

The changes apply only to this corridor, enabling technicians to perform routine infrastructure checks and fixes during hours when no commercial services typically run. Recent issues have included multiple infrastructure faults and point-specific speed curbs, squeezing the time available for repairs.

Operators have already updated their schedules to reflect the suspensions, which are expected to continue as needed to address the backlog.