The two capitals have not been linked by a direct train since 2020, when Spain’s state-owned rail company Renfe discontinued its overnight train-hotel service.
The new route – which will cut the journey time from over 10 hours to just three – has received official sign-off from the European Commission.
“We’re working on a plan to strengthen high-speed connections between major European capitals – and Madrid–Lisbon is one of our top priorities,” said EU Commissioner for Transport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
Various infrastructure issues need to be addressed before cross-border trains can operate. These include discrepancies in electrical voltages and signalling systems that are not expected to be resolved until at least 2025, the news site reports.
In 2023 though, the Spanish and Portuguese prime ministers endorsed plans to improve train connectivity between their two countries in line with the EU’s plan to liberalise Europe’s railways.
Sumar party MPs voiced their support for a rail link to support sustainable travel and boost economic relations between Spain and Portugal.
Renfe stopped operating the Madrid-Lisbon Trenhotel Lusitania in May 2020 due to the pandemic, and never resumed the service.
Spain’s Transport Ministry recently disclosed that upgrades are underway to upgrade track and signalling while Portugal is also advancing its side of the project, with a new high-speed line under construction. The missing cross-border link between Badajoz and Elvas is expected to be bridged once both nations complete their respective domestic upgrades, according to Rail Tech media.
This will integrate a broader high-speed network across the Pensinsula, which will also link Lisbon with Porto in approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes – less than half the time of the current journey.
Spanish media outlet El Español reported that the Madrid–Lisbon route, via Badajoz, could be completed in six hours by 2027 and just three hours by 2030, once all phases are finished and dovetail for the 2030 World Cup being hosted by both countries.