At a cost of 1900 milion € (Euros, or 11,5 millions per Km), a new section of 165 Kilometres between Albacete and Alicante was inaugurated yesterday, with service starting today. Travel time, in this 1st phase of operation will be between 2hrs 20 and 2hrs 38 minutes, with a reduction to 2 hours flat expected in the near future. Anyway, only 7 trains each way use the line, at lest from Madrid, wich seems to reflect Spains present economical crisis situation. Here are some videos.
watch?v=AMmsGQJGPuA
The inaugural run, with a series 100 HST
watch?v=nrtRuRTJU
The official 'promo' video
watch?v=DOyWluYJNyQ
And the official site
http://www.avealicante.es/
Anyway part of the line is not so new. In fact, between Albacete and Almansa, it's a new alignment that originally enterd service in 2000, but with Iberian broad gauge. It was later converted to standard gauge and integrated in the new line that opens today. Curiously, the original section of track in broad gauge, between the 2 cities mentioned was dismantled in 2000, but had to be rebuilt and put back into service in ordre to allow the conversion of the new alignment, keeping the original speed of 160 kmhr, versus 200 on the 'new' section, when it was broad gauge
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