The first high-speed railway section in the region of Galicia will provide connections with the Atlantic Axis (only partially in service) linking the Atlantic cities of the region with the Portuguese border.
The new section is the end section of the Madrid-Galicia high-speed line which, starting in the current Madrid-Valladolid high-speed line, will link Madrid with the Northwest of Spain.
Once in service, travel time between Orense and Santiago de Compostela will be reduced by 70%, which will also significantly reduce connection time between Madrid and Galicia.
The Orense-Santiago de Compostela section, 87.5 km in length (38.5 km less than the current section), is part of the Madrid-Galicia high-speed line, included in the so-called North-Northwest high-speed corridor, that will connect the Northwest of the Iberian peninsula with its centre.