There is talk that the line between Madrid and Elche and Orihuela could be operational in a few months; everything seems to indicate that it will be in early 2021. It is currently known that the line has been undergoing tests during all these months with the ERTMS system (European Rail Traffic Management System), to which all the high-speed trains in the country and Europe will have to be adapted until 2030. Likewise, there is a training process for future train drivers on the line.
However, the AVE would not finish its journey to Murcia until 2022. The forecasts of Transport are that the work on the first phase of the underground railways in Murcia will be completed by this year or in 2021; the second phase will be completed at the beginning of 2022, and that in this way, the AVE will be able to reach Murcia in 2022.
On the other hand, it seems likely that there will be a connection between the AVE and the Alicante-Elche airport. The Ministry headed by José Luis Ábalos has committed itself to make this connection operational by 2023. However, this section would operate with High Speed, and there is no date for connecting the AVE station in Elche with the Cercanías network. On Monday, the BOE published the Information Study on the Elche Railway Network: a detour for connecting the new High-Speed station with the city centre. The approved detour has a length of almost 4 kilometres of electrified double track, with a budget of around 32 million euros.
In conclusion, the AVE (high-speed train) for passengers between Murcia and Madrid will not be fully available until 2022, when Valencia’s connection via La Encina could also be finished. The connection with Cartagena could be completed by 2025, according to the Corridor document.
