The Spanish high speed train network continues to grow.The AVE link between Madrid and Alicante should be up and running by 2012.During a visit to the site at Montfort del Cid last week the president of the company which is building the railway ,gave this assurance.

He said that the link would be completed by 2012 but could not say when the overland access line would be built into the city itself.The project has already been costed at 70 million euros and would take a year to complete but the date for the commencement would be decided at government level.

He also spoke of the area of the line where the branch will go in one direction to Murcia and the other to Alicante.This is a very technical area and has to comply with very strict specifications.The cost of building this hub alone is estimated at 47 million euros and train speeds in this area will reach 22okph.

Once finished the AVE train will cut times to Madrid to the point where the rail is competing with the airlines for passengers.The link to Murcia will be finished in 2014.