Regional outlet El Mirón de Soria confirmed on 22 February that Adif’s overhaul of the Madrid–Zaragoza railway—part of the ‘autopista ferroviaria’ enabling piggy-back freight from Algeciras to Zaragoza—has slipped further behind schedule. Engineers now expect the conventional line to remain closed until at least autumn 2026, leaving the province of Soria without direct passenger rail service for a year and a half. The works involve enlarging tunnels and bridges between Guadalajara and Épila to accommodate lorry-carrying wagons, but unforeseen geological issues have pushed back completion. During the shutdown Renfe is bussing passengers from Soria to the Torralba junction, adding roughly 45 minutes to Madrid trips and complicating same-day business meetings. Freight operators must continue diverting lorries onto the A-2 motorway, raising logistics costs and carbon emissions. For companies running manufacturing sites in Soria’s industrial estate or sourcing timber and agri-food products from the region, the extended closure disrupts just-in-time supply chains and limits staff travel options. Some firms are shifting to flexible remote-work arrangements for employees who normally commute by rail, while exporters are renegotiating delivery-time clauses. Adif says the Madrid–Zaragoza upgrade is critical to Spain’s strategy of shifting freight from road to rail and eliminating bottlenecks on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), but local chambers of commerce are demanding interim passenger-only paths once major tunnel modifications are complete. Companies should monitor Adif’s monthly progress bulletins and budget for continued reliance on road transport through Q3 2026.
Source: El Mirón de Soria
