I went to Zaragoza for a short break last year and enjoyed it very much. So that's three satisfied customers at least!

Spain's CAF awarded contract to build trains for Cincinnati

http://www.thecorner.eu/2012/04/spai...pply-contract/

It seems they are pushing ahead with the fast link to Galicia from Madrid

http://www.thecorner.eu/2012/04/ferr...ilway-project/

It's the one line I personally have big reservations over. We can already see good passenger numbers on lines like Toledo-Madrid or Madrid-Barcelona, and the new section at Girona-Barcelona will be heavily utilised too (it's a busy section already and needs extra capacity). But the take-up of the AVE so far in Galicia (from Orense to La Corunna) has been poor and I don't see that many travelling to Madrid on a regular basis. But no doubt we'll see when the line is there in 2015/16.

Some facts, which may help understand the points, you have written.

The bad take up is because the line goes from one city to another, there is no "real reason" to do between these two cities.
But normally one would build a railway radiating out from main hub not from the final point towards the hub. However José Blanco (from the last government) also primed the AVE would be finished in Galicia before the end of 2011. It was, but he forgot to mention the rest will not be finished for years to come.
Rajoy is from Galicia and that might just have something to do with the decision carry on.

BTW it is Ourense to A (La) Coruña.

CAF to supply Civity trains to Latvia.

http://www.spanishrailwaysnews.com/n...ot=229&cs=home

Heh. Not something I'd be into, but a new combined AVE-bus tour from Madrid to Lourdes (via Huesca) has been launched, aptly named the "Ave Maria". Article in Spanish

http://ave-renfe.edreams.es/ave-hues...ave-y-autobus/

For any who like train videos, here's one of the new Avant high speed journey from Santiago to La Corunna. It sets off after 3 mins of the video (half an hour in total)

Talgo receives its second largest foreign contract in Kazakhstan

http://www.spaintechnology.com/icex/...602972,00.html

Whatever the rights and wrong about all the different AVE lines, its certainly been a great way to showcase Spanish engineering skills across the world

Hopefully the investment would have been rewarded with lots of foreign contracts over the next few years

Well yes - there are even opportunities for Spanish rail firms in India now -

http://www.business-standard.com/ind...-india/479020/

This is all good news, so why isnt it on the front page of all the Spanish newspapers ? ?

Oh sorry, it isnt about the economy stupid ! !

.

Is employing Indians to build trains good for the Spanish economy ?

it is if the profits go back into the Spanish economy. But will it ?
money obtained off-shore normally stays off-shore.

but it is good for the morale that a Spanish company is doing well internationally ??

I seem to remember a post recently about Rolls Royce building engines in India and it was deemed by this forum to be bad for the UK.

Or maybe it is an age related thing

I don't remember that post, but I imagine it's similar to the Dyson thing - success for a British company, but the manufacturing jobs are placed abroad. At least a certain amount of managerial, research jobs etc are created for the home country.