High speed rail network in Spain
I’ve recently got back from a short break to Spain, and I was amazed at the expansion of the country’s high-speed rail network. Those who know me will be aware that high speed rail has been a hobby horse of mine for quite some time.
I think the UK’s dilly-dallying over high speed rail is a national disgrace. Even according to the latest proposals, we’re only getting one line – and that won’t be in place until 2030. Essentially, we’re going to be 25/30 years late to the party, and other countries will be way ahead by the time the UK joins the modern era.
The same applies to my other ‘home’. Australia is crying out for a high speed rail link between Sydney and Melbourne, yet any suggestions mooted get scant attention.
Spanish cities connected to Madrid by high speed rail
Spain’s commitment to high speed rail is arguably the most impressive in Europe. Seville was the first city to be connected to Madrid, and Málaga, Córdoba, Valencia, Zaragoza and Barcelona have all followed. The network is growing fast, and I can only pray that Britain and Australia see sense and adopt the same level of commitment.
Lessons to be learned
But there are a few lessons to be learned from the trailblazing Spanish. Last weekend I used their high speed trains for the first time, travelling from Madrid on the new line to Segovia. The journey had been ostensibly cut from two hours to half an hour and was mightily impressive. The train glided across the scorched countryside at an incredible pace, and cut through the mountains using one of the longest tunnels I’ve ever been through.
Segovia Guiomar station
We arrived, on time, in Segovia’s space-age Guiomar station. It’s new, sleek, modern, and looks a little like a Bond villain lair parked in the desert. It’s also part of the problem.
Madrid Chamartin vs Madrid Atocha
Yes, the journey did take half an hour instead of two hours. It was frighteningly efficient in that respect. But this doesn’t take into account what happens either side of the journey. The journey departs from Madrid’s Chamartin station, rather than the more central Atocha. To get to Chamartin on the Madrid Metro from the city centre, it takes a good 20 minutes, particularly when you factor in the lengthy walk from the Metro to the high speed AVE train platform.
Bus or taxi from Segovia Guiomar
And then there’s Segovia Guiomar station. It’s in the middle of nowhere, at least 5km out of Segovia itself. From there, you need to take a bus or a taxi. To get there, you need to take a bus or a taxi. It costs extra money (although not much) and takes an extra 15 to 20 minutes. The time saving no longer seems so impressive, does it?
High speed trains vs cheap flights
For a short haul trip such as this, it’s not so much of a problem; flying between the two cities is just unviable. But for longer distances – say three hour train journey vs 75 minute flight – it is an issue. Part of the joy of taking the train is going city centre to city centre, without having to struggle out to the airports, through security etc. But if the train stations are way out of town as well, this advantage is cancelled out. It’s not the way to make fast trains a flight-killer.
City centre to city centre
When/ if the British high speed rail network is finally set up, this is an important factor to consider. Noise, planning and population factors make it incredibly hard, but a way has to be found for high speed rail to go from city centre to city centre. It’s no use building a station in Ayrshire to serve Glasgow – people may as well fly. And if the purpose is to cut unnecessary flights, then you need to make people think the train is a better option.
Tags: cheap flights, high speed rail, Madrid, Madrid Atocha, Madrid Chamartin, Segovia Guiomar, Sydney to Melbourne, train travel, Transport
If money were no object, I’d say rip the whole works up and start afresh. And, centre it on Birmingham, not London.
Australia had much the same problem we had … different companies building what they thought people who lived in their area wanted … exacerbated by the different gauges adopted by each state.
Totally agree re the need for a high-speed train between Sydney & Melbourne, which is often referenced as one of the top ten busiest air corridors in the world.
The high-speed proposal that was much discussed and then discarded in the 1980s would have run Melb-Canberra 2 hours, then Can-Syd 1 hour. When you factor in all the time and hassle going to/from airports, that would easily have made it a preferred option over the 1.5 hour flight between the two cities.
Hopefully it will come one day!
Hi David. I agree, but we’re 25-30 years behind? We’re already about 40 years behind the French. Bordeaux to Paris is just a bit shorter than London to Glasgow and you can do it in just over two hours and they’re currently working to reduce that even further. Try getting from London to Glasgow in anything less than four hours.
I can’t see it happening in the UK unfortunately. It should have been done years ago, there’s just too much in the way now..