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12/18/10

Spain overtakes France as Europe's high-speed rail leader

Spain will hurtle past France as Europe's high speed rail leader on Sunday when it opens a 6.6-billion-euro line from Madrid to Valencia, banking on a boost to the economy.

The 438-kilometre (272-mile) route will slash travel time between the Spanish capital and the Mediterranean port of Valencia, Spain's third-biggest city, from four hours to just 90 minutes.The project, built at a cost of 6.6 billion euros ($8.8 billion), brings Spain's high-speed rail network to 2,056 kilometers.

It places Spain ahead of the 1,896 kilometres of high speed rail in France and 1,285 kilometers in Germany, home to Siemens, the world's largest manufacturer of high-speed trains. Spain's high-speed train service, known as Alta Velocidad Espanola (AVE), boasts trains with noses shaped like a duck-billed platypus moving at speeds of up to 300 kph (190 mph).

For more: Spain overtakes France as Europe's high-speed rail leader | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online

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