Vigo/Ourense area electrification changes

[Paul AC]

The Celta is expected to end after the line to Vigo is electrified to 25kV AC, as it will be replaced by inter-regionals extended from Valença. However, only the Arco coaches are being licensed to run in Spain, while traction remains an unanswered question.

mods note. Split from this thread

[PT] Douro Line Closure for Modernisation (Nov '25 to Spring '26)

For anyone with plans to visit Portugal, the Douro Line closed on November 3 between Marco de Canaveses and Peso da Régua for track improvement and station modernisation works. There is a rail replacement bus between *Caíde* and Peso da Régua, to connect to the stretch between Peso da Régua and...

www.railforums.co.uk

Is the present year-long closure between Vigo Guixar and Valença do Minho (or does it start on 7 April?) relate to this conversion to 25 kV? The Spanish section is 3 kV dc at the moment.

 

[Giugiaro]

Yes.

 

[Richard Scott]

Is the present year-long closure between Vigo Guixar and Valença do Minho (or does it start on 7 April?) relate to this conversion to 25 kV? The Spanish section is 3 kV dc at the moment.

When is this expected to be finished?

 

[Paul AC]

When is this expected to be finished?

The RENFE press release https://grupo.renfe.com/es/es/sala-de-prensa/noticias/2026/03/renfe-modifica-servicio-vigo-guixar dated 18 March 2026 reads (via Google Translate):

Renfe is temporarily modifying the train service to/from Vigo Guixar due to infrastructure works.​

(from 7 April 2026)

• Adif continues to advance in the modernization and improvement of the Miño Line (Vigo-Ourense), with actions incompatible with rail traffic, so Renfe has programmed an alternative transport plan adapted to each situation
• The works will affect Regional trains to Santiago de Compostela/A Coruña for one month and Regional Express trains to Ourense/Ponferrada and Intercity trains to Porto for one year

which implies that the line between Vigo Guixar and Valença do Minho will be closed until April 2027. As usual with ADIF I would be very surprised if the April 2027 date is met: most of the present long term closures have over-run by many months already; usually due to extra works being needed. Having said that, it is rare for an end date to be given!

 

[Richard Scott]

The RENFE press release https://grupo.renfe.com/es/es/sala-de-prensa/noticias/2026/03/renfe-modifica-servicio-vigo-guixar dated 18 March 2026 reads (via Google Translate):

Renfe is temporarily modifying the train service to/from Vigo Guixar due to infrastructure works.​

(from 7 April 2026)

• Adif continues to advance in the modernization and improvement of the Miño Line (Vigo-Ourense), with actions incompatible with rail traffic, so Renfe has programmed an alternative transport plan adapted to each situation
• The works will affect Regional trains to Santiago de Compostela/A Coruña for one month and Regional Express trains to Ourense/Ponferrada and Intercity trains to Porto for one year

which implies that the line between Vigo Guixar and Valença do Minho will be closed until April 2027. As usual with ADIF I would be very surprised if the April 2027 date is met: most of the present long term closures have over-run by many months already; usually due to extra works being needed. Having said that, it is rare for an end date to be given!

Thanks, hoping to do Portugal and into Spain at the end of May 2027 so useful if route is open again by then otherwise likely to be a coach move!!!

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Does that imply that Tui / Guillarei to Ourense is also being converted to 25kV AC? Ourense to Monforte has recently been dealt with.

An Ourense to Valença do Minho service would enable quite an attractive route from Madrid to Porto.

 

[Paul AC]

Does that imply that Tui / Guillarei to Ourense is also being converted to 25kV AC? Ourense to Monforte has recently been dealt with.

An Ourense to Valença do Minho service would enable quite an attractive route from Madrid to Porto.

Logically the whole area will be converted to 25 kV, at least as far "out" as Monforte de Lemos. You say "Ourense to Monforte has recently been dealt with" but has it? As far as I can tell, the wiring on this section has been altered to allow relatively easy future conversion from 3 kV DC to 25 kV AC, but has it actually been changed over yet? It hadn't, as far as I could tell, when I last travelled that route in January 2025; and it is shown as "25 kV under construction" on OpenRailwayMap https://openrailwaymap.app/#view=11.17/42.4377/-7.6825&style=electrification . I suspect it will all stay at DC until the whole area is ready for conversion, to keep things simple; there is no suitable 25 kV rolling stock available anyway at the moment, and all long distance trains are dual voltage.

I wonder if relatively-local resident @Giugiaro (see post #13) has any more information?

And yes, an Ourense to Valença do Minho service would be good as I 'require' the east curve at Guillarei!

 

[gazthomas]

We need to get back on topic or those interested should create a new thread

 

[Paul AC]

Logically the whole area will be converted to 25 kV, at least as far "out" as Monforte de Lemos. You say "Ourense to Monforte has recently been dealt with" but has it? As far as I can tell, the wiring on this section has been altered to allow relatively easy future conversion from 3 kV DC to 25 kV AC, but has it actually been changed over yet? It hadn't, as far as I could tell, when I last travelled that route in January 2025; and it is shown as "25 kV under construction" on OpenRailwayMap https://openrailwaymap.app/#view=11.17/42.4377/-7.6825&style=electrification . I suspect it will all stay at DC until the whole area is ready for conversion, to keep things simple; there is no suitable 25 kV rolling stock available anyway at the moment, and all long distance trains are dual voltage.

I wonder if relatively-local resident @Giugiaro (see post #13) has any more information?

And yes, an Ourense to Valença do Minho service would be good as I 'require' the east curve at Guillarei!

According to SpainTrainRadar (website https://spaintrainradar.com/ and also App), train 12611, 06:15 Ponferrada - Ourense, is currently being worked by unit 470 014, which is a 3 kV DC -only unit, so clearly Ourense - Monforte de Lemos is still operating on 3 kV not 25 kV.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 May 2026 ==

We need to get back on topic or those interested should create a new thread

Agreed. I've asked for the relevant posts to be copied into a new thread.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

According to SpainTrainRadar (website https://spaintrainradar.com/ and also App), train 12611, 06:15 Ponferrada - Ourense, is currently being worked by unit 470 014, which is a 3 kV DC -only unit, so clearly Ourense - Monforte de Lemos is still operating on 3 kV not 25 kV.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 May 2026 ==

Ah, O.K. - the Ourense to Monforte section had extensive works including a new 1.9 km Oural Tunnel - I guess they are waiting for Monforte to Lugo (not previously electrified) to be completed which is definitely 25kV AC.

 

[HS2isgood]

Ourense to Monforte is still 3 kV, because the Ponferrada - Vigo Guixar RE train is now again a 3 kV only Class 470. (Well actually it terminates in Guillarei because it's closed from there to Vigo).

 

[Giugiaro]

I wonder if relatively-local resident @Giugiaro (see post #13) has any more information?

What I do know is that Comboios de Portugal is currently undergoing the recertification process for the Arco coaches to replace the Celta with extended regional trains, though there's no clue as to what traction we are supposed to use on the Spanish side.