Anything wrong with this picture?: U.S. has 'Boots on the ground' in Iraq & Afghanistan; but we can't run a railroad. We need to change our priorities. Spain has overtaken us.
Merry Christmas to all who frequent this Board ...

They expect 4,5 millions passengers on this line, and its doable. Now my cousins in El Saler will be after me when passing by Madrid ,damn !!! ::)

Simply fantastic!
I tried myself the new train to Valencia. I'll tell you my experiences.
I bought two return tickets on the web, in advance of course, one for the Christmas weekend and the other one for the New Year's Eve weekend. I paid 63.90 euros for each return ticket.

The trains are completely new. What a wonderful feeling is to travel in a brand new coach, it's like when you drive for a first time your new car, the smell, the feeling. It's so clean and comfortable, seats are a bit bigger than the ones in an ordinary train.
The train left on time. It cannot reach a high speed for the first 60 or 70km. until it is away from Madrid, then it reaches 290-300km per hour (you can see it on a panel).
Is beautyful crossing the world biggest wineyards of La Mancha, while having a cup of coffee at bar coach. Then landscapes change into pine forests as whe aproach the UNESCO world heritage city of Cuenca, what a pity, we cannot see the city from the train. In a few minutes we crossed the Contreras reservoir, wow! it looks so small from here. After a few tunnels we pass near the dof Utiel-Requena, minutes later they anounce Valencia staion. Only one hour and thirty two minute after leaving Madrid.
They have built a new temporary railway station 500 yards away from the beautyful art decó stile Valencia main station , built in 1906. Thre is shutle bus conecting the two stations.
There is a proyect to expand the old station, as they did in Madrid Atocha, but for the moment is has to wait the economic crisis ends.