More high speed train services in southern Spain are in operation. "Two high speed AVE train routes connecting Madrid to Valladolid and Madrid to Málaga will be officially opened to the public in time for Christmas.
Beginning on Sunday, passengers will be able to make the one hour train ride on the AVE to Valladolid, with a stopover in Segovia. The cost for a return ticket will be 49.50 Euro. And on Monday, a new AVE route of two hours 55 minutes to Málaga will be opened to the public, for a round-trip cost of 114.80 Euro. However, plans to connect other parts of the country through high-speed trains have hit stumbling blocks. The long-awaited AVE rail service between Madrid and Barcelona is behind schedule." (El Pais)
Posted by
Everett, WA, USA
2 posts
Thanks Norm. I was trying to get info on the Madrid to Barcelona AVE, and here was the answer. Do you happen to know what the new expected start up date is? I'm going to Spain in May 2008.
Posted by
OP
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
They've encountered some serious problems with a tunnel under Barcelona that's supposed to bring the AVE into the center of that city, so no firm date has been set. The AVE does actually run to Barcelona from Madrid....in fact, it runs at high speed all the way through to Tarragona now....it's that last few kilometers into Barcelona that are where the problems are occurring. About 4:15 for the run, at a cost of almost 90 Euro.