New high speed rail to connect Portugal, Spain in only three hours

The Portuguese government has approved plans for a new high-speed train line between two of the biggest tourist destinations, Portugal and Spain, Express reported.

The capital cities of these two European countries welcome thousands of tourists every year. Currently, the trains connecting them take more than nine hours.

This new train, which will pass through the Spanish region of Extremadura, cuts travel time to only three hours.

While plans for the project have been approved, construction has still not begun. According to developers, by 2027, the journey time will be reduced by six hours.

However, the completed project won't be in place until 2034. This is due to a new bridge being constructed over the River Tajo, which is expected to take as long as nine years.

This new high speed rail will connect Lisbon in Portugal with Madrid in Spain. It will be operated by state-owned rail company Renfe.

This new project is in line with the Spanish government’s recent efforts to reduce dependence on plane flights and promote train travel to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Besides this, Portugal is also developing a new high speed train line for inter-city travel which is scheduled to open later this year. The cost of the project is estimated at around £3.3billion to £3.5billion.