Zaragoza-Teruel-Sagunto line reopening delayed into 2027
28.08.2026
The Zaragoza-Teruel-Sagunto line reopening has been delayed again on part of the route as electrification works continue. The Caminreal-Cariñena section is now expected to remain unavailable into the first quarter of 2027.
Adif says the schedule for works on the rest of the route remains unchanged, with completion still planned for the end of autumn 2026. Information circulated internally among Renfe staff sets 1 December as the date for a partial reopening.
Passengers will therefore remain unable to travel by train between Caminreal and Cariñena until the first quarter of 2027. The full line, which has been closed for some time, will not return to operation within the previously expected timeframe.
Geotechnical problems delay the Caminreal-Cariñena section
Adif attributes the latest postponement to conditions encountered during construction. The infrastructure manager cited “the need to adapt the execution of the works to a series of unforeseen conditions that have affected the initially planned development”. It also reported “singular geotechnical characteristics” in the area and “the incidence of meteorological phenomena of special intensity”.
Several critical locations have presented problems, including natural slopes and areas around and inside tunnels. Adif said “unforeseen destabilisations in critical points” had occurred, while “various setbacks and incidents” had reduced “the performance of the works and increased the scope and deadlines of the intervention”.
The Caminreal-Cariñena section has proved the most difficult part of the works. Adif has processed two emergency files and is continuing studies in nine tunnels to determine the extent of the problems.
Conditions encountered during the works have also required changes to some construction methods. Adif referred to “the modification of the construction methods to find the most suitable technical solution” and said structural reinforcement measures introduced so far mean “significantly reducing the initially planned work yields and considerably extending the execution period”. Further inspections and analyses are continuing while these solutions are consolidated.
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Zaragoza-Teruel-Sagunto line reopening timetable
Adif says it is working to shorten the revised timetable where possible, while treating the safety of workers and railway operations as “priority”. Other works on the Zaragoza-Teruel-Sagunto line remain scheduled for completion at the end of autumn. The infrastructure manager also indicated that deadlines could be reduced “whenever technical viability and the progress of the works allow it”.
The delays have prompted public demands for faster progress on Teruel’s railway infrastructure. More than 2,000 people gathered in the provincial capital a couple of months ago, calling for progress on the works and completion of the connection with the Valencian Community with a high-performance track.
What is known about services
Rail passengers are currently being carried under Renfe’s alternative road transport plan while the railway remains closed for the works. The arrangement covers all conventional Media Distancia services on the Zaragoza-Teruel-Sagunto corridor as well as C5 Cercanías services between Sagunto and Caudiel. Renfe says València-Zaragoza journeys are operated by intercity buses, with minibuses between Calamocha and Cariñena and VTC or taxi services between Encinacorba and Cariñena. The replacement arrangements also involve changes to normal timetables and journey times.
The intervention on the Caminreal-Cariñena section affects around 70 kilometres and includes improvements to tunnels, overpasses and stations. The Zaragoza-Teruel railway line has been closed since 17 February 2025, and the latest timetable extends the closure of the Caminreal-Cariñena section into the first quarter of 2027.
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