well expansion has its price, train rides are becoming shorter in Spain.
the train using galgos cars from Madrid to Galicia are been cut by about 2 hrs ride time. The prices will remain the same.
using the high speed line in service since early December and going at about 200km per hour: they will service Madrid - Croruña, Madrid-Vigo ,and Madrid-Santiago.
Pedmar, Its good to know about the expansions in train travel in Spain. I just picked up a couple of recommended books mentioned here, and I'm in the early stages of learning about this wonderful country and am enjoying the history a lot. I'm slowly but surely learning about the transportation options.
I love starting from the beginning and getting to know a country for the very first time. Great fun!
Thank you for sharing.
Posts: 646 | Location: California | Registered: 19 September 2004
Hola Pedmar, Good to know this route is opening up - now all we have to do is get you out of your car you love so much and onto the trains to reduce your carbon footprint!!!!!
The new Malaga / Madrid AVE high speed train route has been an incredible succees with passengers on the route up by 40% in the first week of January alone. Much quicker city centre to city centre than flying
Michael
Posts: 193 | Location: Spain | Registered: 21 August 2006
once an old gizzard, stays the same;hard to change: not that i hve not taken trains but, given a choice for the local flavor the car is king/queen.
But indeed Spain has gone a long way on trains, from I was living there huh, it was old world indeed. Better get Clive to tell you about CO and how forest have been cut to make way for roads and railroad lines there, its all change now. I still think for the better
and talking about roads, you got me started Michael ok
they just gave Madrid 453 million Euros to build the road M 404 for 27 km!!! I guess they will use the stone from the Torre de Oro in SEville!! It will go from the M407 to the M307 bypassing the A42 that goes to Toledo and the A4 to Andalucia, making a 4 corners crossroads just south of Madrid.
Just worth saying that work is rather slow on the Languedoc - Barcelona TGV rail link.
The dedicated TGV line currently stops near Nimes. Estimated progress is :
2008 Nimes - Montpellier TGV line bypass surveying starts 2008 Public enquiry on Montpellier - Perpignan TGV line route 2009 Nimes - Montpellier TGV line bypass work starts 2009 Perpignan - Figueres TGV line in service 2011 Figueres - Girona - Barcelona TGV line in service* 2013 Nimes - Montpellier TGV line rail bypass opens 2020 Montpellier - Perpignan dedicated TGV line in service * It now seems that technical problems associated with the route into Barcelona will delay the Girona – Barcelona line until at least 2012.
And, as of today, the Herault and Gard Departments are refusing to contribute funds to the Nimes - Montpellier link !
The border crossing was complicated in the past by having different rail guauges in France & Spain - so you had to change trains on the border. The TGV will run on the same guauge as France (and most of the world).
Peter, the barcelona line is getting unions, and contractors problems, they have just added a different one trying to speed up the process: but I will bet will be slow going process.
my rides are over, I will be leaving ST, no need to continue. I do appreciate all the good folks who have enjoy my suggestions to Spain/Portugal. May you find happy travels in those beautiful countries. I will be over to VT.
