Although Barcelona’s high-speed rail to Madrid, the AVE (an acronym for Alta Velocidad Española), is four years late to arrive, the AVE’s policy promises to fully refund passengers who wait more than five minutes for a scheduled train that’s running late. (Imagine the consequences if transit authorities were to instate this in every city, particularly those with adequate transit. It’s also reassuring for passengers, of course, who feel they can rely on the rail to get them to their destination without delay.)
The AVE from Barcelona to Madrid opened to ticketholders in late February. The train travels at a lightning-fast 300 km/hr (186 mph), covering 550 km (342 miles) in just 155 minutes. The AVE also offers competitive fares to air travel, at 180 euros round-trip.
The Spanish government told the BBC that, by 2010, it plans to have more high speed trains than anywhere in the world.
Sources: BBC, Wired, and Gadling.
See also: High Speed Rail Coming to America
California Trains to Go High-Speed?
Trains: The 200 Year Old Solution to Our Travel Problems
Photo via flickr by viajar24.com.
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