Page 13 - Vía Libre Special - 25 Years of Spanish High Speed Rail
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How the length of the network has grown
the network, either directly or
via gauge changers connecting
conventional and high speed
networks. As a result, two of out
of three Spaniards today have
access to high speed services in
their province.
Just in the last five years
six new provincial capitals have
become directly connected to
the high speed rail network:
Girona, thereby completing the
Madrid-Barcelona-French border
axis; Alicante, as a prolongation
of the Madrid-Albacete/Valencia
route; Palencia, Leon and Zamora,
Expo 92 opened its doors to the public, marked the in the north-northwest high speed corridor, and
introduction of a transport system that has played Pontevedra on the Atlantic axis.
an important part in the transformation, hitherto Meanwhile, Adif Alta Velocidad continues to
inconceivable, of mobility in Spain, one which totally work on extending the benefits of the high speed
changed the passenger transport map. network to several other regions, such as Murcia,
Since the launch of the high speed Burgos, Granada, Almeria, Cantabria, Asturias,
programme in our country, the construction of Extremadura, and the Basque Country. Work is also
new infrastructure has required an investment of in progress on the Zamora-Orense section, whose
over 50,000 million euros. It has contributed to the entry into service will complete the connection
integration and cohesion of the Spanish mainland by between Madrid and Galicia, and on the Valencia-
connecting a large number of cities, centre to centre, Castellón section and Vandellós-Tarragona bypass,
and by driving development and a more sustainable both forming part of the Mediterranean Corridor.
mobility.
Today these services reach twenty-six
provinces, accounting for 57.9% of the total surface In 2016 Renfe’s high speed services
area of Spain. And 47 stations already form part of transported a record 35.2 million users,
1.8 million more than in 2015.
Santa Justa Station (Seville).
years of Spanish high speed rail
GONZALO RUBIO
Vía Libre • Special 25th Anniversary of the AVE Edition 13
