jackytoo

We keep seeing posts on here how great the AVE train service is but seems that someone has a grudge against it, or it's just vandalism. The construction site near Antequera was set alight burning 19 trucks and plant equipment. Some photos here.

http://www.diariosur.es/multimedia/f...tequera-0.html

Lenox

It must be an expensive day for the insurance company. I'm one of those who think the AVE was a bad idea - trying to bring Spain into a modern and expensive future without much reason beyond the kudos and the commissions.

cricketman

I think it was a great idea

But it should have stopped at Sevilla - Madrid - Barcelona - Valencia (and possibly Malaga)

These are the lines that are also doing well

Lenox

They are slowly... agonizingly... building a line from Almería to Murcia which, they now say, won't be ready before 2020. No one appears to have done any market research on whether people want to go from Almería to Murcia - in fact, I read an article in our provincial daily about how they could use this line to transport fruit and veg. Or even marble. Impatient marble that's in a big hurry. Furthermore, they want to build a station half-way, in Vera. To make this make sense (you can't stop a high-speed train and have only one old lady and her chicken get off), the Junta de Andalucía wants to build a 35,000-house town outside Vera (again, no market research). The same place, by the way, where the Junta de Andalucía knocked down one 'illegal' home in January 2008.

agoreira

Why not? They did in Tardienta, watch el follonero greeting the two passengers that get off the ave there, as he says, there are more azafatas than passengers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uICRiIubaI
All routes are losing money. Routes have and will be closing. As I've said before, technology wise, it's great, business wise, it's a failure.
http://www.lavanguardia.com/economia...-viajeros.html
Anyway, we'll have the AVE's biggest fan along soon to correct us!

Pocaloca

Still waiting for the long-promised line from Algeciras to Barcelona, which would take all the North Africa freight off the roads. But the AVE has more status. Wrong priority, I think.

cricketman

The purpose of the AVE wasnt to make money but to help grow the economy by making business between cities easier

One day it may make money, it took Eurostar 20 years to make an annual profit

However, as always, routes have been created due to idiotic politicians who either want to bribe their electorate or skim money off the construction costs.

The basic premise is good and needed though between the main cities not the supid satellite stations where people arent prepared to pay the premium for high speed travel

Dick Dasterdly

Well they had to spend all that luvvly jubbly free EU handout cash on something.

Just think of the genuine benefits that could have been created with it for rail passengers in the UK.

cricketman

What the h*ll are you talking about?

I know people who use the AVE frequently, it is most definitely a benefit

There is nothing wasteful about the main AVE lines, yes some of the smaller stations have been a complete waste due to politics and corruption

The trouble is with a lot of you guys, you know nothing about Spain or about Spaniards so just summarise everything the Spanish do as stupid or corrupt. I know it is fashionable to have a go at Spain at the moment, and in some ways this is justified, but it is not so balck and white

Lets face it, a lot of British people still look down on the Spanish as uncouth, uncultured and uneducated. Ironically, it tends to be people who themselves are uncouth, uncultured and uneducated who think that.

jackytoo

Would you include Lenox in that So, anyone who doesn't have the same opinion as you knows nothing about Spain. Strangely most of the Spaniards comments about the AVE are the same as posts against it on here.

cricketman

Of course they are

Spanish people are incredibly critical about their country especially in these uncertain and politically disgraceful times. You go to any social network, news site or forum and all the views are negative

It doesnt mean that all of it is justified. Some things Spain does or has done very well, it has also done a lot of things badly.

5 years ago Spaniards were telling me about how great the economy and housing market was and how it was never going to crash etc etc, now they are all on the negative bandwagon. Sometimes a little context is needed

Lenox

Thanks Jackytoo

Domino

yes spend £6bn on a non-compatible railway line that will knock 3 mins off the journey from Londond to B'ham, a line that won't join up with the Eurostar so everyone will have to change trains and stations

and most people in the UK either don't know about it or are against it.
it will do nothing to improve the travel times or conditions for 99.99% of rail travellers, especially those who currently travel in sardine cans but will be expected to cough up higher fares to subsidise the new line.

cricketman

That makes the AVE sound cheap at 12 million euros per km!

angiescarr

I can't help but agree. Good infrastructure is important to a modern vibrant country. Spain may just get the balance between investment in the future and a foot in the past more right than most countries. Well I hope so anyway. I believe in a time of recession more workers should be put on infrastructure. Maybe a few less on shuffling papers. I use the Ave fairly frequently and will use it even more when it connects more places. But then I'm still a full decade off lazy retirement (if I retire at all) and a whole lifetime away from the 'blow you jack' attitude of some here who's lives it may not directly affect. I know the OP doesn't agree with the Ave. I'm surprised a double thumbs up wasn't used on the original post. But whatever you think, No one should condone vandalism.