Madrid-Barcelona AVE High-Speed Train Carries 33 Million Passengers
in First Six Years in Operation
RENFE this month reports that its AVE high-speed rail network service along the Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona corridor has transported a total of 33.355 million passengers, with an average of nearly 5.56 million passengers annually, during its six years in business. The high-speed train line connecting Madrid and Barcelona was inaugurated on February 20, 2008, with 17 trains daily in each direction; progressively, the number of trains has expanded to 28 daily connections, thanks to the popularity of the product. Travel time of 2 hours and 30 minutes, with arrivals and departures out of train stations in city centers, make it an extremely attractive and reliable alternative for both business and leisure travel.
Also renowned for its 98 % punctuality rate, the AVE – a word which doubles as an acronym for Alta Velocidad Española (Spanish high speed) and as the word in Spanish for “bird”, hence the wings in its logo – is a fleet of trains which travel at speeds of up to 193 mph .
The AVE´s 1,900-mile railway network is the largest in Europe, and the second-largest worldwide. In operation in Spain since 1992, it is continuously adding routes to its network. Service has very recently expanded to include important international connections: on December 15, 2013 the Barcelona-Paris service was inaugurated, linking the two European metropolises in under 6.5 hours.
AVE Infographic
In light of all of the recent, exciting AVE news and its continued popularity, the TOS Chicago has launched an informative AVE Infographic as a fun and practical way of illustrating its routes, fast facts, the times and distances between the major cities served by the AVE, as well its connections to nearby World Heritage Cities.
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About the Tourist Office of Spain in Chicago
The TOS Chicago is one of 33 worldwide offices of TURESPAÑA, Spain´s government tourism promotion authority based in Madrid, responsible for promoting Spain as a tourism destination to travel trade, press and consumers in the Midwest USA market, and to the business travel and MICE market on a nationwide level.
As part of their ongoing marketing activities, they produce Meet in Spain multimedia magazine as well as a series of Webinars in conjunction with the magazine issues; conduct e-learning seminars; create customized brochures for MICE programs; manage and maintain an active presence on Spain Meetings & Events Community @i-Meet.com; and periodically publish Infographics on topics such as the AVE; future topics include Popular Itineraries, Gastronomy and Paradores.
To learn more about the TOS Chicago’s services and activities, visit our Spain Virtual Event Center www.spainvirtualcenter.com
Patricia Wood
Press and Public Relations Manager
Tourist Office of Spain in Chicago
Email: patricia.wood@tourspain.es
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