Happening Now
Spain welcomes Paris-Barcelona TGV, auctions off new “ghost airport”
December 11, 2013
Written By Ross Capon
Yet another important new high-speed rail service will begin Sunday, December 15. Twice-daily Paris-Barcelona through-trains will end a long history of changing trains at the international border. The running time will be six hours 25 minutes. The Financial Times reported that travelers starting from London St. Pancras will be able to leave at 9:31 AM and reach Barcelona within 10 hours 9 minutes.
Meanwhile, Spain is auctioning off a new-but-disused airport at Ciudad Real. Here’s the beginning of the Financial Times’ report:
For sale: airport in provincial Spain, good as new, with 4km runway and passenger terminal built for 10m travellers a year; includes visitor centre, vast industrial park and 50m control tower. Good motorway access and ample parking. Asking price: €100m.
The report calls the “infamous ghost airport” one of the ultimate symbols of Spain’s real estate bubble. This auction, viewed together with the TGV expansion, also arguably symbolizes a positive trend in Europe towards energy-efficient train travel.
Photo from deconcrete
"It is an honor to be recognized by the Rail Passengers Association for my efforts to strengthen and expand America’s passenger rail. Golden spikes were once used by railroads to mark the completion of important rail projects, so I am truly grateful to receive the Golden Spike Award as a way to mark the end of a career that I’ve spent fighting to invest in our country’s rail system. As Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, it has been my priority to bolster funding for Amtrak, increase and expand routes, look to the future by supporting high-speed projects, and improve safety, culminating in $66 billion in new funding in the Bipartisan infrastructure Law."
Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
March 30, 2022, on receiving the Association's Golden Spike Award for his years of dedication and commitment to passenger rail.
Comments