All high-speed trains between the Region of Murcia and Madrid may, within a few years, have a double stop at the Atocha and Chamartín stations, as planned. With this objective, the last Council of Ministers gave the green light to the construction of the new through station at Puerta de Atocha for around 500 million euros. This investment, together with the expansion of Chamartín, will solve the saturation that currently exists for high-speed services in the capital of Spain.
The project recently authorized by the Government in the run-up to the electoral campaign will allow the travel time between the Region and Madrid to be shortened by 15 minutes for trains that now do not use Atocha. The Ministry explains that the capital of Spain will have a large train station with two terminals: Atocha and Chamartín. The new underground station will have four tracks and two platforms and will connect the north and south high-speed networks. It will be located under the current high-speed station and Méndez Álvaro street. It will link with the tunnel between Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes and Chamartín-Clara Campoamor, allowing high-speed trains to stop at both stations, reported the Ministry of Transport.
Since last year, two daily high-speed trains between the Region of Murcia and Madrid stop at the Atocha station; while another two do it in Chamartín through the tunnel that runs from north to south of the capital. The same happens with part of the frequencies that leave Alicante and Valencia. The second part of the project consists precisely in building a new through station in Atocha so that all the trains can stop.
Currently, two of the four daily trains between the Region and Madrid stop in Atocha, and the others do so in Chamartín
The underground station has an estimated investment of 497.4 million euros (VAT not included) and will connect the high-speed tunnel between Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes and Chamartín-Clara Campoamor with the new high-speed southern access to the capital , which came into service in July last year, allowing high-speed trains to stop at both stations.
In this way, the Ministry explains that the total connection of the northern half and the southern half of Spain’s high-speed network will be completed, making it possible for Madrid to have a large train station with two terminals, Atocha and Chamartín, and that the trains of the Madrid-Levante corridor stop at Atocha. “Thus, the capacity and operability of this neuralgic point of the high-speed network of our country will be increased,” he points out.
Atocha expansion
The infrastructure, of great complexity, will run from north to south along Méndez Álvaro street, taking advantage of the unevenness to generate several levels in which to develop different spaces; connecting both with Puerta de Atocha in the north and with a new hall in Méndez Álvaro at the southern end. The northern part of Puerta de Atocha will also be remodeled, expanding and improving the spaces and integrating it with the accesses to the underground station.
The new station, framed in Phase 2 of the new Atocha railway complex, will be integrated into the rest of the high-speed facilities (using the same lobbies, control filters, etc.) to achieve maximum use and avoid duplication of spaces and equipment, indicates the Ministry.
The through station will be underground, but it will have a large central opening that will allow light to enter through a skylight and a large curtain wall on the Méndez Álvaro façade. In addition, it will facilitate the visual communication of the underground space with the upper elements.
The new mixed concourse by Méndez Álvaro will incorporate the west side of the station -which will have a new façade- to high-speed services. The greater dynamism of this area will promote a better road balance and will contribute to the reduction of road traffic on Avenida Ciudad de Barcelona, as well as on Paseo Infanta Isabel and Paseo Reina Cristina and Calle Alfonso XII, adds the Ministry.
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