It has been several years coming, but the full high-speed service between Madrid and Barcelona was inaugurated on February 20th 2008, becoming Renfe's flagship main line the process.
Construction of the line began over 5 years ago, and the line was opened in stages, reaching Tarragona (actually a new station outside the city, called Camp de Tarragona) in 2006. Problems completing the line into Barcelona, alongside existing tracks - including some spectacular tunnels collapses - delayed its final opening, but the full service is now running.
All the stations along the route have been either remodelled, as at Zaragoza, Lleida and Barcelona, or built from scratch, as at Tarragona. The AVE (Alta Velocidad Española - High Speed Spain, but also the Spanish word for 'bird') uses standard European gauge tracks, instead of the broader Spanish gauge, and so needs a dedicated railway line throughout. The trains running most of the services on the new line are based on the latest German ICE units, and are built by Siemens. They have a maximum speed of 350kph (217mph), but in normal service run up to 300kph (186mph).
The line passes through some spectacular scenery, with impressive and ambitious engineering to match - lots of tunnels and big bridges.
The fast non-stop services from Barcelona to Madrid take 2 hours 38 minutes for the 342 mile journey - one of the fastest averages in the world - with those stopping en route taking 45 minutes longer. The trains are very spacious and comfortable inside, with even those in Second (Tourist) class having reclining seats. There are small TV screens along the carriage roofs to provide a film service, and radio channels provided at every seat. We found the ride very quiet, although a little bouncier than expected. Announcements are made in English and Spanish.
So why not 5*? Well, for a very expensively-built new main line, there are only 17 trains in each direction a day, with several two-hour gaps in the middle of the day. The service may improve in frequency as traffic builds up, but the competing airline service is much more frequent. Also, tickets are very expensive by Spanish standards, although discounts are available if you book ahead. The normal AVE tariff is over four times as expensive as the (admittedly rather slower) ordinary trains, so you do have a choice of frequency vs price. read more