So the AVE lines are not planned, financed and built by the Central Spanish Government, but by the individual regions ? How interesting.

So this means that if a region ruled by another party opposed to the Government decides to stop development on a project part way through and turn it into a white elephant, there is nothing the Government can do about it but take the blame for Spain building these white elephants ?

Amazing.

In a way, Spain is actually too democratic - it has too many layers of electable government. This was to prevent the split up of Spain after Franco died, they had to give the regions a lot of autonomy

But the problem is that the central and local governments often contradict each other - add to that the layer of the alcaldes/ayuntamentos and there is a recipe for disaster in terms of governence... although the people are very well represented. Or it least they would be if the politicians didnt lie all the time to get into power, although that isnt exclusive to Spanish politicians

I did wonder at the time, whether the high spped link from Granada to Seville via Antequera, could be justified. You were unlikely to get many commuters between those two cities, although it may be of appeal to tourists.
Still, the good news from that region is that at least Granada will be connected to the AVE system, and from next year apparently:
http://blog.edreams.es/el-gobierno-c...anada-en-2015/
Again I can't see many commuters using the link between Malaga and Granada (or even Madrid and Granada), but it will be heavily used in the tourist season I suspect.

I added news about the the news about Almería not getting an AVE service in this post. It all seems too colicated due to the chances in rail gauges.

The government has only just agreed to approve the final study of a section of AVE to Galicia. I really thought this was all sign sealed and about to be delivered.
News in Spanish

as I said some time ago, they are still arguing about where the station is going to be, and they are still arguing
but the lorries have been delivering the final final bed before the track is laid, this has been sitting on the works near to Pinos Puente for several months now.

High-speed rail network overtakes flights as preferred mode of travel in Spain

http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/04/17/...95_622092.html

If you look at those numbers the majority of the increase must have come from losing passengers from the pre AVE rail system not solely from air travel.

Not necessarily - we're told there's been a major recession (I don't deny that btw) and so you'd have expected people travelling long distance on holidays etc to have fallen - or to have taken the cheaper coach option. Instead the numbers travelling long distance by rail (including but not wholly AVE) has increased substantially. Of course a large element is that is down to the new pricing structure, but since the total revenue is also up that benefits all parties.

Quite a bit of truth in that.

The overall percentage of Spanish travelling by rail on a regular basis is still comparatively small compared to most EU countries and has changed very little as a result of the AVE.

Meantime some towns and cities that had one station now find themselves with two, while others suddenly find themselves left with none at all.

Spain already had an extensive rail system with most trains operating at reasonable speeds.

Now almost 80 billion euros later, the system is less extensive, many towns having been bi-passed, people having lost their service, the money is running out, some schemes cancelled, others totally abandoned after massive investment.

Here in Valencia there is still no direct AVE service to Barcelona, (two major cities), and one of the few routes that may have been profitable, yet billions have disappeared down the drain on one horse towns and stations in the middle of nowhere which have totally failed.

All in all a totally unjustifiable system in the view of many analysts.
The question should maybe be asked who on earth did the feasibility studies or did they actually do any at all ?

I thought you would have known that, it was Juan, the same guy that did it for the airports, the autovias, the concert halls etc.
Of course one of the main reasons for the increase in AVE passengers, apart from many previous train services being axed, is that they had to bow to public pressure and drop the prices considerably, 11% across the board, up to 70% on special promotions.

He might have lost the country billions leading them up the garden path, but I dare bet he's not short of a bob or two himself, as well of course as the odd brown envelope or three.

An "expert" has testified that if the the correct system had been installed on the high speed train line in Galicia the accident would never have happened.
News in Spanish


Further new about Michael Portillo's visit to Galicia for his BBC programme.
News in Spanish.

Renfe breaks its passenger record over the Easter holidays with an increase of 18.3 per cent

More than one million passengers on AVE and Long Distance trains over Semana Santa
(article in Spanish)

http://www.vialibre-ffe.com/noticias...=12369&cs=oper

http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/04/28/...39_093998.html

URGENT OVERHAUL of Spain's Railroad Systems required, according to Safety Experts.

Too late the horse has bolted. But ADIF are adamant the Santiago train accident has nothing to do with them cutting back on safety measures.