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Last Updated on 18/07/2023 by STEPHANE
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On the 21st of April of 1992, the fast train was born in Spain
The first route to be open in Spain was the Madrid to Seville route with 471 Km. Since 1992, the network expanded to more than 3000 km and more than 11 different routes.
They call it the AVE “Alta VElocidad” train in Spain. To party on that, the Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, announced an “anniversary campaign” that should last one year where they will sell 250.000 tickets at 25€. The sales will take place on the 25th of each month.
A few facts on the AVE -fast train- in Spain
- 357 M passengers transported
- 20 M transported last year
- Occupancy rate higher than 85%
- On time arrival higher than 95%
- Speed average higher than 200km/h with the fastest speed of 350km/h
- Fast trains are competitive vs plane for ranges of up to 1200 km or the equivalent of 5 hours of travel
- 52 bn investments according to the Adif, the manager of the Spanish Rail Network
- 1500 km are under construction according to the Adif
What is the AVE network in Spain?
- Madrid – Seville AVE, Madrid Puerta de Atocha – Ciudad Real – Puertollano – Córdoba Central – Sevilla.
- Madrid – Barcelona AVE, Madrid Puerta de Atocha – Zaragoza Delicias – Lleida – Camp de Tarragona – Barcelona Sants.
- Madrid – Huesca AVE, Madrid Puerta de Atocha – Guadalajara Yebes – Calatayud – Zaragoza Delicias – Tardienta – Huesca.
- Madrid – Valladolid AVE, Madrid Chamartín – Segovia Guiomar – Valladolid Campo Grande
- Madrid – Malaga AVE, Madrid Puerta de Atocha – Córdoba Central – Puente Genil Herrera – Antequera Santa Ana – Málaga María Zambrano.
- Madrid – Cuenca – Albacete AVE, Madrid Puerta de Atocha – Cuenca Fernando Zóbel – Albacete Los Llanos.
- Madrid – Alicante/Alacant AVE, Madrid Puerta de Atocha – Cuenca Fernando Zóbel – Albacete Los Llanos – Villena AV – Alicante/Alacant.
- Madrid – Valencia AVE, Madrid Puerta de Atocha – Cuenca Fernando Zóbel – Requena / Utiel – Valencia Joaquín Sorolla
- Málaga – Barcelona AVE, Málaga María Zambrano – Antequera Santa Ana – Puente Genil Herrera – Córdoba Central – Zaragoza Delicias – Camp de Tarragona – Barcelona Sants.
- Barcelona – Sevilla AVE, Barcelona Sants – Camp Tarragona – Lleida – Zaragoza Delicias – Ciudad Real Central – Puertollano – Córdoba Central – Sevilla Santa Justa.
- Valencia – Seville AVE, Valencia Joaquín Sorolla – Cuenca Fernando Zobel – Ciudad Real Central – Puertollano – Córdoba Central – Sevilla Santa Justa.
From where in France can you come to Spain with the AVE?
Renfe and SNCF in partnership take you from 15 French cities to Spain.
Use the AVE to discover:
- Madrid – Barcelona – Marseille
- Barcelona – Paris
- Barcelona – Lyon
- Barcelona – Toulouse
- And many other smaller cities like Carcassonne, Lyon, Marsella, Nimes, París, Toulouse, Narbonne, Béziers, Agde, Sète, Montpellier, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Valence.
The good network of communication is one of the advantages of Spain: Train network, Road network and of course many airports. Have a look at our paper we wrote on the 10+ advantages why you should invest in Spain.
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Do you want to book a fast train ticket from Europe?
Do you want to book an AVE, fast train, ticket in Spain? Check the Renfe website.
More on the 25 years of the AVE?
Picture source: Renfe
