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NATIONAL high-speed rail services are breaking into the north – the fast AVE train now runs from Madrid to the cathedral city of Burgos, via Valladolid.
Transport board RENFE is reportedly planning on its next connections being between Madrid and the Basque Country.
King Felipe VI, president Pedro Sánchez, and regional government officials in the centre-northern territory of Castilla y León were present when the red tape was cut on the first AVE train to set off for Burgos.
Famous for its soft white cheese – sold cheaply in most mainstream supermarkets – its river Duero wine region, and a Gothic cathedral widely held to be one of the most splendid on earth, Burgos is now only 90 minutes away from central Madrid.
It set off at 11.00 this morning (Thursday) from Madrid's Chamartín-Clara Campoamor station, arriving at Burgos-Rosa Manzano at 12.30.
En route, the express convoy called at Valladolid-Campo Grande – also in Castilla y León and famous for its huge city-centre park with peacocks roaming loose – and in Segovia, world-renowned for its massive Roman aqueduct and impressive alcázar, or Mediaeval Royal Arab fortress.
These three classical cities are now easily accessible from Spain's capital.
The Burgos-Valladolid route takes just 38 minutes.
ALVIA trains will continue to run along the new high-speed lines, although the actual AVE only operates one service a day to Madrid, leaving at 07.00.
It has taken practically a generation for the 350-kilometre-per-hour express to reach Castilla y León – the European Union flagged up the Madrid-Burgos link as 'priority' back in 2005, but work on the new track needed did not start until 2009.
At the time, the then national president Mariano Rajoy promised the AVE would reach Burgos by 2015, but the works were not complete until 2020.
Finishing touches were delayed due to the pandemic, meaning the service has only just begun to run.
The result of 13 years of building works and €730 million in public funds, the ultra-fast rail connection costs between €48.40 for a standard fare and €72.50 premium fare one way for the whole Madrid-Burgos stretch.
For its launch, RENFE put 100,000 single tickets up for sale for €18 each, and by the opening day, had sold over 20,000 of them.
Next stop for the AVE is the inland Basque city of Vitoria, from Burgos, which will cost in region of €27.4m just for drawing up the plans.
Once work on the 100-kilometre track is ready to start, the full price will be about €1.5 billion.
It will be the first-ever AVE service linked to the Basque Country, but rail infrastructure board ADIF believes it could be up to a decade before this opens.
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