NO NEED TO HURRY THOUGH (via Tom Morin):

High-Speed Railways in Spain (Cynthia Graber, 11/07/06, Technology Review)

The sensation of riding on Spain's high-speed rail from Madrid to Seville is more than anything one of smoothness, without the bumps and jostles common on conventional rail. The journey passes so comfortably, in fact, that it's easy for a rider to forget the speeds at which the train is traveling--unless, of course, the rider happens to stand in the conductor's cabin. From the conductor's vantage point, scenery zips alongside as tunnels loom ahead, then the train quickly plunges into darkness before darting out once again into the light. The speed, the most important trait of high-speed rail, turns from simply a number on paper into something visceral.

Spain has embarked on an ambitious project to develop high-speed rail connections in every major city, spanning out in a web all around the country and connecting the urban dots along the coast. By 2020, the country plans to have 10,000 kilometers of high-speed rail completed, placing 90 percent of the population within only a few dozen kilometers of a high-speed rail line and shooting Spain to the world's top ranks in terms of total high-speed rail on the ground.

In the process, Spanish industry has taken advantage of the country's new focus on high-speed rail to develop new products to meet the demand of Spanish market, and to innovate and compete on the world market for parts and services.

Too bad there'll be no Spaniards left to ride them....

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 15, 2007 11:59 PM