Spain’s railways are to be handed a big boost as new changes will speed up a service from the capital Madrid to the city of Algeciras in the south of the country.
The country’s state train operator, Renfe, will now add S-730 series carriages and create space for an extra 700 passengers per week.
Renfe also said the service will see improvements in “reliability, comfort and the customer’s travel experience.”
The change will also help speed up journeys, knocking off 44 minutes for the current route between Madrid and Algeciras.
This will see journey times drop from 6 hours and 12 minutes to 5 hours and 28 minutes.
The average cost of a ticket from Madrid to Algeciras is £63.
The route will take passengers through the following locations: San Roque, Ronda, Antequera Santa Ana, Puente Genil, Cordoba, Villanueva de Córdoba, Puertollano, and Ciudad Real.
The new S-730 trains can run at a maximum speed of 250 km/h on high-speed tracks and 220 km/h on electrified tracks. On non-electrified tracks, they are limited to 180km/h.
Spain’s railway system has been criticised by people in the country due to its slow times.
The mayor of Algeciras slammed the long journey times to Madrid, highlighting that it is longer than a flight to New York or Dubai.
Mayor Jose Ignacio Landaluce previously claimed the rail links are a “disgrace”, with journey times being “unacceptable”, the Olive Press reports.
He added in October: “It’s absurd that a journey from Algeciras to Madrid takes as long as a flight to New York. This is a first-world country, and yet our citizens are forced to endure third-world transport links.
“Passengers deserve better. They should not have to choose between spending hours on a slow, uncomfortable train or paying for a flight to their destination.
“The poor state of the line undermines our competitiveness compared to other regions and, crucially, compromises safety—not only for passengers but also for the hardworking staff at Renfe and Adif, who do an exemplary job.”