Hey everyone!

Looks like 2004 for Madrid-Barcelona high speed train connection. Does anyone else feel this should have been done some time ago? Instead of Madrid-Sevilla? This route could have paid for itself years ago!
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.elperiodico.com/online/apuntador.asp?data=ed010325&idioma=CAS&publicacion=catalunya&urlname=http://www.elperiodico.com/EDICION/ED010325/CAS/CARP01/tex035.asp

I agree with you Guapetona. People in Spain say they built the line between Madrid and Seville only because the former prime minister was from Andalucía.

Concidentally, they are already working on a high speed line between Madrid and Valladolid. Guess why?. Yes, the current prime minister (José María Aznar) is from Valladolid.

By the way, what you read today in the newspaper was just that Renfe decided which companies are going to build the new AVE trains for that line. Works on this high speed line begun some time ago and next year they say it'll be ready from Madrid to Zaragoza.

Also, there are plans to connect the Madrid - Barcelona line with the French TGV trains connecting Spain to France and other countries in Europe through high speed trains.

As for the new AVEs, they will run faster than the ones that go to Seville. They will run at 350 kph (whereas the others go at 300 kph).

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Interesting facts about this can be found in the article below from 'El Mundo', such as that it is the most expensive public project ever in Spain and it will be the fastest train on Earth too.
http://www.elmundo.es/magazine/m77/textos/ave.html

You are forgetting one of the most interesting train projects for Madrid, the AVE to Valencia & Alicante is also the plans. Just think of it 1hour 20 min to the beach......2005 for Valencia...