ADIF begins expropriations for substations of the Puertollano-Mérida railway corridor

ADIF has initiated the process of compulsory expropriation of rural land required for the installation of traction substations, autotransformer centers, and high-voltage lines on the Puertollano-Mérida section of the Ciudad Real-Badajoz line. The Directorate General of the Railway Sector, under the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, has opened the public information procedure through a Resolution published on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, in the Official Gazette of the Province of Badajoz, number 157 (notice 3225/2026).

The action is part of the basic project approved by ADIF on January 29, 2026, and is framed within Law 38/2015, of September 29, on the Railway Sector. On July 7, the railway entity requested the initiation of the compulsory expropriation file under number 202ADIF2699. Approval of the project entails the declaration of public utility or social interest, the need for occupation of the affected properties, and the declaration of urgency thereof, in accordance with Article 52 of the Compulsory Expropriation Law of December 16, 1954, and its Regulation of April 26, 1957.

Territorial scope of the project

The expropriations affect a total of 15 municipalities spread across three provinces, concentrated along the railway route connecting the Extremaduran and Manchegan cities:

• Province of Badajoz (8 municipalities): Cabeza del Buey, Capilla, Castuera, Don Álvaro, Don Benito, Guareña, Quintana de la Serena, and Villanueva de la Serena.
• Province of Ciudad Real (6 municipalities): Almadén, Almadenejos, Almodóvar del Campo, Brazatortas, Chillón, and Guadalmez.
• Province of Córdoba (1 municipality): El Viso.

All affected land is classified as rural. The annex to the gazette includes more than 30 pages with the plot-by-plot list, indicating total area, square meters of expropriation, easements, temporary occupation, and affected owners.

Affected owners and entities

Among the holders of the affected properties are both individuals and major public and private entities. Notable entities include:

• Minas de Almadén y Arrayanes, SA (several plots in the municipalities of Almadén and Almadenejos, up to 16 million m²).
• Red Eléctrica de España, SA (plots in Quintana de la Serena and Almodóvar del Campo).
• Confederación Hidrográfica del Guadiana (plot in multiple municipalities).
• Junta de Extremadura (plots in Quintana de la Serena, Don Benito, and Guareña).
• Diputación de Córdoba (plot in El Viso).
• Various city councils of the affected municipalities and irrigation communities.

Most private owners are natural persons with small rural plots, many of them domiciled in the affected municipalities themselves.

Deadlines and procedures for owners

The Directorate General of the Railway Sector has opened a public information period of 15 business days so that the holders of the affected assets and rights may submit written allegations. Interested parties may consult the expropriation annex at the following locations:

• Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, General Secretariat for Land Transport, Directorate General of the Railway Sector, Railway Expropriation Division, paseo de la Castellana 67, Madrid.
• ADIF-Alta Velocidad, Expropriation Subdirectorate, avenida Pío XII, 110, Madrid.
• The respective affected town councils and government sub-delegations or delegations.
• Through the websites of the Ministry of Transport (www.transportes.gob.es) and ADIF (www.adif.es).

In addition, property owners have been summoned to the drawing up of the preliminary minutes prior to occupation in each municipality, with dates between 20 and 29 October 2026, on the days and times detailed in the annex to the bulletin. This publication serves as notification for interested parties who are unknown or whose address is unknown, in accordance with Law 39/2015, of 1 October, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations.

Impact on those affected

Owners of rural properties along the Ciudad Real-Badajoz corridor face the possible occupation of plots which, in some cases, reach areas of millions of square metres. The declaration of urgency facilitates occupation prior to payment of the fair compensation. It is advisable for those affected to review the annex to the bulletin, consult with legal advisors and submit their allegations within the fifteen-business-day period in order to assert their rights.

Source: Official Bulletin of the Province of Badajoz, No. 157, 18 August 2026, section I (official reference: announcement 3225/2026).