Page 81 - Vía Libre Special - 25 Years of Spanish High Speed Rail

ther an imaginary nor a passing dream. It was a
dream based on values such as spirit of service,
courage, pride of belonging, and customer orien-
tation which has got us to where we are today.
Now nobody questions the AVE and its qualities.
My most joyful memory is of the human
resources that made that radical transformation
possible. There can be no nostalgia nor resting on
our laurels for what we achieved; we need to look
to the past to see another dream to call the futu-
re, a future which is closing in at a very high speed.
And to close, a reflection very applicable
to our “iron roads”. In 2002, at the University Photos of the onboard catering service on AVE trains
of Perugia, during the international “Santiago e (October 1994).
l’Italia” conference, a Spanish politician said in
reference to the pilgrims’ ways to Santiago and ding life, offering the whole of Europe a perma-
Rome: “The pilgrims’ ways are polymorphous, nent lesson in tolerance, solidarity and unders-
varied, integrating routes that encourage the tanding”.
exchange sharing and dissemination of ideas So be it and on into the future.
and knowledge, of cultural blending and of unity Alfredo durán Alonso
of faith. Paths which, in short, help to integrate TrAin mAnAger on The firsT AVe
distant lands and different ways of understan- PhoTos: hisToricAl rAilwAy ArchiVe

Passengers at Puerta de
Atocha waiting to board
an AVE Series 100 while
on the other track a train
is being hauled by a 252
locomotive.

years of Spanish high speed rail

Vía Libre • Special 25th Anniversary of the AVE Edition 81