The Mayor of Soria, Javier Antón, announced on 27 July that he will meet Renfe this week to demand the rapid reinstatement and long-term improvement of the Soria–Madrid rail service, suspended since massive cable thefts crippled signalling between Guadalajara and Torralba in May. ADIF has already let a €700,000 emergency contract to replace catenaries, fibre-optic lines and safety systems. The optimistic timetable sees full restoration by late October, but the city wants interim partial services and a future express that bypasses congested Cercanías tracks to cut journey times below two hours. For corporate relocation teams, the outage forces assignees to rely on slower bus services or drive the 220 km route, adding cost and reducing day-trip feasibility. Local employers say candidate acceptance rates for positions in Soria’s growing agri-tech sector have dipped 12 % since the rail cut. The mayor is lobbying Castilla-y-León to co-finance discounted fares once trains resume, mirroring agreements in Aragón and Extremadura that subsidise ‘strategic’ conventional lines. If approved, the subsidy could make weekly commuting to Madrid viable again for executives who prefer small-city living. HR departments with staff stationed in Soria should watch for Renfe’s contingency timetable expected in mid-August and budget for temporary accommodation near Madrid until reliable early-morning departures return.
Source: Cadena SER
